Vampire Lover
by Ravenclaw992
Summary: Raven Black is new to Fell's Church, where she ends up meeting Elena, Bella, and the Cullens. But what happens when she learns about vampires and even falls in love with a vampire like Damon,who is doing all he can to claim her for his own? R&R!
1. Vampires

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, Twilight, or any characters/places associated with these series. The authors, Stephanie Meyer and L.J. Smith, own them completely. I only own Raven Black. 

Note: This is my second story, my first crossover so please do not be too harsh on me. (= I wanted to try a story that mixes two of my favorite vampire series! I would appreciate it if you read and review after reading my story. I appreciate all comments, questions, ideas, and constructive criticism. Thank you! (= Enjoy the story. 

"Vampire Lover"

Chapter 1: Vampires

Do you believe in vampires? If you don't then I completely understand. I used to think that vampires could not exist in our world; the world of humans, that is. Now I know better. They're out there, always moving around and perhaps hunting deep in a part of the woods. Or they could be sitting right next to you in your history class, watching your every move while silently taking in the scent of the blood that constantly pulses and flows through your veins. They look like us, talk like us, and move like us. They are vampires who can easily blend in with the human crowd. It is dangerous enough to simply know a vampire in your human world, but what happens when you fall in love with one? If you see one with your own eyes and long for it, no matter the consequences? If you end up wanting to give your heart to that one person, perhaps consider sacrificing your humanity to share the everlasting night with that person? I did. I ended up falling in love with a vampire and wanted to give my heart and soul. However, that part of my story comes later. It all started when I moved to a new school in a new town, simply due to the fact that I experienced a loss that broke my reality into pieces.

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My name is Raven Black. I am currently the new resident to Fell's Church, Virginia. I am your average teenager who is constantly fighting the atmosphere of high school and slowly making my way through an unremarkable life. At least, it was unremarkable until I actually moved to Fell's Church. After that, my whole world changed into something unbelievable, even for me. For now, let's back up a bit and start at the beginning.

I was moving to the town of Fell's Church during my senior year. It was a small town, the kind where everyone knows everyone else and they all know each other's business. It contained only a few mildly interesting stores besides a grocery store, a barren graveyard, and rows of tiny houses; at least to me they looked tiny. You see, I was moving from California, where I had lived with my mom. We had lived in a huge house that held dozens of rooms and bathrooms. I had gone to an enormous high school where I actually had friends. Now, I was moving to this minuscule town and living with my aunt. It was all because my mother had died in a car crash, and I had no one else to stay with. My next of kin was my Aunt Carrie since my father had died when I was a child.

My aunt was the one who agreed to take me in, the one who was driving me to her tiny house. At this point, I didn't know what to say to her. Was there anything right that I could say? My Aunt Carrie was my mother's sister and, though my mother told me they weren't that close, I knew she was silently grieving for my mother as well. The only thing that was clear in my mind right now was my mother. I was in the process of holding on to her image as long as possible. She had looked so much like me; everyone who attended her funeral said so. I had the same raven-black hair, chocolate brown eyes, golden tanned skin and dazzling smile. Supposedly, I got my height and my nose from my father. I turned away from the window and the trees that were rushing by in order to glance at my aunt.

My Aunt Carrie looked nothing like my mother. She looked quite the opposite, actually. She had long, strawberry-blonde hair that reached past her shoulders, although today it was held back in a tight ponytail. Her eyes were an amazing shade of blue and she was much taller than my mom had been. At that moment, she turned her head and smiled a smile that was not as dazzling as my mother's had once been, but it was somewhat comforting nonetheless. Her voice was a bit lighter than my mother's and perhaps a bit buttery, making me think of a southern, maybe cowgirl, image for my aunt. It was a silly thought that managed to get me to smile back at her. I have not smiled in a number of days.

"I hope you like it here, Raven. It is a small town, but it's not that bad. It does get a bit quiet here, though. Probably a lot different from California, huh?" Instead of answering her, I turned my head back to the windows as we pulled into a driveway. We had finally reached my aunt's house. It was, as I already predicted, a small house. It was the shade of granny-smith apples and it really gave me a craving for an apple. I fought off the craving as I climbed out of the vehicle and started towards the trunk to retrieve my bags. My aunt followed me and lifted the hood of the trunk for me.

"Do you want some help with your bags? I could also make some lunch for you. I know you must be starving after that long ride. I'll make anything you want." I hesitated before answering her and then gave her a shake of my head.

"No, you go make lunch. I don't mind any particular type of food; I'll probably eat anything at this point. I can get my bags by myself, Aunt Carrie." She tilted her head and, with her eyes, seemed to ask if I was sure. Then, she smiled again and turned towards the house.

"Okay, then. I think I'll make some pasta. I hope that's okay. By the way, your room is the first one on your right when you climb the stairs." My aunt quickly glided away into the house, leaving me to handle my luggage. I was actually thankful for the silence…

_Caww!_ Just then, a loud cawing sound broke the silence and my eyes darted up, searching for the source of the sound. I was about to dismiss it when I locked eyes with a black bird that was perched on the roof of the car. I had not noticed it there a moment ago. I then realized that it was a black crow. It shrieked again and I couldn't help feeling that it was studying me. I swung my hand up, hoping to scare it off, but it only moved two inches over to avoid my hand and continue to stare at me. It felt as if the bird's eyes were roaming over me, making me feel more than a little uncomfortable. I turned away from the bird's eyes and began to lift my luggage out of the car. I managed to set both large bags down by my feet. Out of curiosity, I lifted my eyes again to the roof of the car. The black bird was gone. My mind wandered on this thought before my aunt's voice rang out the door.

"Raven? You still getting your bags? I just put the pasta on to cook. Hurry up, now! You'll want to get that luggage upstairs before you eat." My eyes wouldn't come unglued from the spot where the bird had been. I didn't even hear it fly away. A cold wind rushed around me then, and it caused my hair to twist around wildly. It was a strange wind; it made me feel ice cold as if Death was suddenly lurking over my shoulder. It made me feel as if someone was watching me. 'Or maybe I'm watching too much Final Destination…' I thought mockingly. The wind died as quickly as it had come. I hastily grabbed up my luggage and headed for the door of the house. I wanted to be inside its boundaries as fast as possible and away from any eyes that might still be watching.

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I struggled to drag my bags up the stairs of my new home. I could smell the spicy scent of my aunt's pasta, and I didn't realize how starving I was until my stomach growled. I ignored it and continued up the stairs. My room was on the right, as my aunt told me. I had to drop my stuff in order to open the door to the room.

It wasn't that small of a room, which greatly surprised me. I made my way into the room and left my stuff by a wooden desk. I spotted a new laptop on the desk and I knew I had to thank my aunt for it. I slowly studied the rest of the room. It had sky blue wallpaper and a large bed with matching sheets, blankets, and pillows. It even had a dark blue canopy hanging above it. There was a large bay window on one of the walls which included a comfortable looking window seat. A low breeze was currently blowing back the blue curtains. All in all, the room was cozy and definitely one I could live in.

My ears suddenly caught the sound of a light footstep behind me and I jumped back in surprise, causing my aunt to shriek along with me. The two of us burst out laughing at our foolishness and I tried to make my heart stop beating so fast. My aunt was the first to maintain her control.

"Hey, I was just coming up here to see how you like the room. I hope the blue isn't too much." She smiled awkwardly as she waited for my response.

"No, it's really nice. I could get used to this being my new room. Thanks for the laptop, too. Umm…is lunch ready yet?" My aunt suddenly did something that took me by surprise. She wrapped her arms around me softly and gave me a large hug, which I felt I had to return.

"You're very much welcome, Raven. I'm so happy that you're here and I hope you'll be happy, too. Especially after everything you've been through in the past week…Oh, and lunch is served. Let's go eat, and then you can unpack if you want." I started to follow her out of the room when I had the same feeling of being watched as I did outside. I turned slowly towards the window and again locked eyes with the black bird that was now on my windowsill. Goosebumps began to climb up my arms as I felt that it was studying me again. My aunt's voice came from behind me, but I didn't jump this time.

"Something wrong, Raven?" her eyes followed to where I was looking. "Oh, that's just a black crow. I forget that birds sometimes land on the windowsills. It'll go away soon. Come on, before the food gets cold." I stared at the bird for one final minute before heading after my aunt. I could literally feel its black eyes burning through my back as I left my new room.


	2. Meet Elena, Bella, and Stefan

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries/ Twilight or any character/places associated with these series. The authors, Stephanie Meyer and L.J. Smith, own them completely. The only character I own is Raven Black. (=

Chapter 2: Elena

_Raven_

My alarm clock buzzed in my ear the next morning and I sleepily shut it off. I forced my eyes to open and for a minute I imagined I was back at home, and that my mom would be downstairs making blueberry pancakes. Then, the events came crashing back into my head. I was in my new room and I had just started a new life. It was my first day at a new high school in which I knew not a single being.

I lifted my body out of bed and began to move towards the bathroom across the hall. It was somewhat small—big surprise—and it was completely white. It made my eyes hurt. I splashed some cool water on my face in order to wake up and stared at my reflection in the mirror. I had circles under my eyes, especially because I had woken up twice in the middle of the night due to some strange dreams. Actually, it had been one dream playing repeatedly in my head. My dream had been about a black crow in a cemetery, and there was something about one particular guy…It had been someone I felt I knew. I shook my head, trying to clear the images out of my mind.

A half hour later, I stomped loudly down the stairs and entered the kitchen. My aunt was already up and cooking something on the stove. Due to her excellent cooking the previous day, I predicted that her breakfast would be amazing. I felt a twinge of sadness for not being able to have my mom there with me, making me her special breakfast especially since it was my senior year, but I reluctantly pushed all thoughts of her from my mind. It would not help me much to start off my day in regret and sadness. My aunt looked up at me when I entered the kitchen and she smiled brightly, which made me feel a little better.

"Hey, good morning. It's about time you got up. School starts in about an hour. I'm making a huge breakfast for you." Her eyes roamed over me, and I knew she was taking in the look of my outfit. I had chosen to wear a denim skirt along with a black tank top under a stylish denim coat. I was also wearing my black boots. My aunt smiled again when she finished studying me. "You look so cute for your first day. I believe your mother was one to have good fashion sense as well. Much better than mine anyway."

I scanned over her outfit for a minute. She was wearing jeans that looked a bit ratty and a long sleeved shirt that looked too big on her. I gave her an awkward smile to assure her that she didn't look that bad. I wondered if she had ever raised a teenager before. As I moved to the table, my eyes found a framed picture on a shelf of a beautiful, teenage girl. She looked almost like a spitting image of my aunt. There was a date printed in the corner of the picture that told me that the picture was taken a year ago. The girl didn't look more than sixteen, and I secretly questioned her whereabouts if she was in fact the daughter of Aunt Carrie, my cousin. I decided against bringing up the subject and sat myself down at the round table that was placed in the far corner of the room. A moment later, my aunt put a plate in front of me filled with eggs, bacon, pancakes, and toast. I immediately dug into the food, feeling as hungry as I did yesterday. Within five minutes, the food was almost gone. I looked up at my aunt to see if she had noticed my sudden hunger routine, but her eyes were focused on the framed picture. In her eyes was a look I recognized immediately, since I had witnessed it in my own eyes during the past weak. It was the look of sadness, grief, and the look of someone's heart being torn into a few more pieces.

I knew then that I had been right in avoiding that topic. Had something dreadful happened to the girl? Was she simply taken away from my aunt or did she…" I didn't have the heart to complete that sentence. My aunt suddenly broke out of her trance, spotted my plate, and laughed out loud.

"I'll have to remember that you have a huge appetite. Now, once you're done, we can leave. I'll drive you to school today. It's actually not that far from this house, in case you feel like walking home today." I nodded to her since my mouth was still filled with food. I gulped it down quickly and washed it down with half a glass of orange juice. I stood up and watched as my aunt cleaned the table and grabbed her car keys. "Off to school we go, Raven." I was thinking the same thing, except now my stomach was beginning to twist. I shook the feeling aside and eagerly followed my aunt to her car, mentally preparing myself for the first day in a new school. ___________________________________________________________________________

The school was actually a good size school. I thought it would be a bit smaller, and by now you could guess why. Dozens of students were gathered in groups and chatting amongst each other. I wondered how many of them already knew about me. I climbed out of the car and said goodbye to my aunt. I started making my way to the school and behind me I heard my aunt's car drive off.

Tons of students suddenly stopped and looked my way. Whispers began floating around, and I knew they were talking about me, the new girl. Some of the guys whistled at me and said hello to me. Most of the girls either gave me sharp glares or looked towards me in curiosity. Dug my schedule out of my bag and read it over before heading to my first class, all the while trying to throw off the numerous stares of what felt like all the students in the school. My first class was chemistry. I silently prayed that this day would not be as bad as I expected it to be, and I slowly made my way through this strange, new atmosphere.

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_Elena_

I was just sitting in my first period class, next to my boyfriend, when it happened. The teacher, Mrs. Goldberg, was going on in a drone about different types of compounds in chemistry, and I was completely guilty with the fact that I was not paying attention. Instead of listening, Stefan and I were passing notes back and forth to each other so as not to get caught talking. I also couldn't help looking in his brilliant green eyes from time to time. I slipped him another piece of paper that explained that I would be able to spend time with him over the weekend when the classroom door slowly opened.

A young teenage girl stepped hesitantly into the room. The teacher glanced at her with an irritated look on her face, read the girl's schedule, and cleared her throat to get our attention. I reluctantly looked to the front of the class and swept a part of my golden hair over my shoulder. "Listen up. This is a new student. She is new to the school and it would be appreciated if you could show her some respect." My eyes shifted from Mrs. Goldberg to the new girl. She was actually very pretty. She had long, silky, black hair that was just a few inches above her waist and pulled back into a long mane. Her eyes were a dark brown and the shade of them reminded me of chocolate. Her smile was what really lighted up her features. For the first time in this class, I became somewhat interested. When the girl spoke, I noticed she had an attractive voice, the kind that makes you want to listen.

"Hello, I'm Raven Black. I am new to Fell's Church; I just moved here yesterday." The teacher motioned to an empty chair in front of me, and the new girl took the seat quickly. I noticed that the teacher had placed her next to Bella Swan, or should I refer to her as Bella Cullen? I chose to use her maiden name. I looked over at Stefan and, judging by the look in his eyes, realized he had noticed, too. He passed me a note, which I opened and read in my lap.

_'The new girl just moved here yesterday? Sounds particularly interesting to me. Well, better next to Bella than Rosalie, right?'_ I smiled at his note and silently agreed to his note. Rosalie Hale wasn't the nicest girl in the class and I knew Bella would be a bit more welcoming. I glanced up towards the seat in front of me and smiled as I saw that Bella was beginning to talk softly with Raven. I was sure that it was fine for Raven to talk with Bella, just as long as she didn't learn any special information…

I pushed the thought away and leaned back in my chair as I waited for the last ten minutes of the class to pass by and I silently hoped that I would be able to talk to Raven before she left. I felt that things were about to get a bit more interesting. ___________________________________________________________________________________

_Raven_

I waited for the final five minutes of the class to tick by. I looked over curiously at the girl sitting next to me. She told me her name was Bella Swan and I, in return, introduced myself. I noticed that she looked unbelievably pretty. Like the kind of heartbreakingly attractiveness that would stop any guy in his tracks no matter what. She had long brown hair, which I realized had a bit of red mixed in, and eyes that were the shade of butterscotch. Her eyes were incredibly warm, and I had never seen eyes that particular shade before. Her smile was bright as she continued to talk with me while we waited for the bell to sound. Her skin was so pale and delicate, almost like marble. The word 'pretty' definitely wasn't the word for someone like Bella Swan. No, she was more…_beautiful_.

Bella told me some things about the school and even gave me directions to my next class. She explained that she didn't have second period with me, but that her boyfriend had the same second period class as I did. That thought made me feel a little better. I couldn't help smiling as I talked with her, and it instantly made any sign of sadness fade away for the moment. I silently hoped that we could become friends; it would be nice to have a friend while spending time in this town. While Bella spoke, I also noticed that her voice was somewhat musical, and perhaps one of the most alluring sounds I had ever heard.

"Your last name…it's Black, right? You wouldn't happen to be related to Jacob Black, would you? He's a good friend of mine." I widened my eyes in amazement.

"Yeah, I'm a cousin of Jacob Black. You know him? Wow, that's…comforting." Bella laughed softly. Even her laugh was musical and seemed to lighten the whole room. I was starting to like her and I regretted the fact that she was not in my next class. Just then, the bell rang and the other students rose sleepily from their chairs. Bella wished with me luck and, faster than any other student in the class, she glided out the classroom door. I got to my feet and was about ready to leave when I felt someone tap my shoulder.

I turned to meet eyes with a girl who simply looked…_angelic._ The girl had silky golden hair that fell in waves and framed her heart-shaped face. Her eyes were a fascinating blue and her delicate lips were formed into a pleasant smile. Her voice, though slightly less musical then Bella's, was incredibly beautiful and light.

"Hello, I'm Elena Gilbert and I just wanted to welcome you to the school. Oh, and this is my boyfriend, Stefan Salvatore." She motioned to her right and I immediately locked eyes with the most gorgeous guy I have ever laid eyes on. I faintly heard him greet me and I could not get my voice to work. All at once, I took in his features. He had brown, wavy hair, a muscular build, and brilliant green eyes that were now exploring my face. It was simple: he was gorgeous. I think my heart stopped for a full minute. I wasn't even sure I heard Elena say the word 'boyfriend'. I was only focused on his figure standing right in front of me. I'm sure I looked very pathetic at this point. Elena made a small sound to catch my attention again, and I could have sworn that the sound held a hint of annoyance. Then again, if a new girl was suddenly drinking in the sight of my boyfriend—if I had one, that is—right in front of me, I would probably be annoyed as well. I had to remember not to fantasize in the future whenever I ran into Stefan, at least for Elena's sake. She inclined her head towards my schedule, most likely hoping to change the subject.

"Which class do you have next? Hmm…you have history next! That's my next class, too! Come on, we'd better get to class before we're late. Matter of fact, we're probably going to be late anyway." I allowed Elena to guide me out of the classroom and down the hall. I was completely unaware that this next class would cause things to take an even more stimulating turn.


	3. The Cullens

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, Twilight, or anything associated with these series including characters or places. The authors, L.J. Smith and Stephanie Meyer, do. I only own Raven Black. (=

Note: Here is the third chapter!! I hope anyone who reads it enjoys it and keeps reading. Also……R&R! I love all reviews, comments, questions, ideas, and constructive criticism! (= Enjoy. 

Chapter 3: The Cullens

_Raven_

Elena and I quickly shuffled into the classroom as the bell rang. Elena led me to an empty chair, gave me a curt nod of her head, and glided away to her own seat. I sat down and turned to look at the person who was in the desk next to mine. I suddenly realized that Stefan Salvatore wasn't the only gorgeous guy in the school. Next to me sat another gorgeous guy and at the moment he was looking my way, smiling politely as he acknowledged that I was the new girl. My eyes scanned his looks and I debated whether he was even better-looking than Stefan.

He had dark hair that was elegantly smoothed back. On any other guy it would have looked ridiculous. On him, it looked amazing and it looked like the kind of hair that a girl could swiftly run her fingers through, which is what I wanted to do. His features looked almost chiseled, as if it were marble. I then realized that his features looked similar to those of Bella Swan. I wondered if they were related, perhaps siblings. His face was smooth, pale and his eyes were also the shade of butterscotch, though maybe a bit darker than Bella's own eyes. Like Stefan, he had a muscular build and near perfect features; I couldn't stop my eyes from roaming over those features.

Suddenly, he leaned more towards me and smiled more confidently, which made me feel completely light. And people said _I_ had a dazzling smile? Apparently those people haven't been around this area lately. The boy's smile was more than dazzling; it was the most perfect smile I had ever seen in real life. The kind of perfect smile you only see on those toothpaste commercials with those people who smile widely like their face is being stretched until the end of the commercial. However, _his_ smile made me feel like going weak in every place in my body. For a minute, it almost felt as if we were the only two people in the classroom. His eyes locked with mine and the two of us looked at each other before he opened his mouth to speak.

"Hello, I'm Edward Cullen." Cullen? Not Swan? Then maybe Bella and Edward weren't related…but how would that explain their resemblance to one another? He was speaking again, and I willingly shut off the buzzing thoughts in my head. "You must be new here. The new girl, I presume?" I opened my mouth to speak, but no sound came out. I felt heat rise to my cheeks as I registered that he was actually talking to me. Finally, I was able to pull myself together long enough to speak.

"Uh…yeah. I'm the new girl. Black. Ummm…my name is Raven Black." I watched as something in his eyes grew noticeably dark at the mention of my name. Then, he smiled awkwardly before he responded to my introduction.

"Pleased…to meet you. I hope you'll enjoy it here." He turned away from me and I was suddenly struck with the thought that I said something wrong. I just couldn't imagine what. Instead of asking about it, I turned reluctantly towards the head of the class. All the while, I could not take my mind off the mystifying, gorgeous guy sitting inches away from me. __________________________________________________________________________________

_Edward_

I glanced at the new girl out of the corner of my eye. I couldn't help thinking she was extremely pretty. I also wondered about her surname. The thought had been stuck inside my mind since she mentioned it. Black. Could she possibly be related to Jacob Black, that…that…_werewolf?_ If she was related to him, then….was she one of them? I tried as hard as I could to erase her from my thoughts, but it was difficult since I could literally sense her presence mere inches away. At the same time, I attempted to shut off the other voices in my head, coming from the minds of other students. Hers was the only one I cared to listen in on at this point. The others, as usual, seemed to become somewhat suffocating inside the boundaries of my skull. Out of curiosity, I peered into the girl's mind.

What I saw inside her mind didn't entirely surprise me at first. It was a simple common reaction to my words. She was thinking that it was her fault for my decision of suddenly ignoring her; that perhaps she spoke of the wrong topic. She was also confused as to what caused my immediate mood swing. I felt a twinge of regret, but knew that this condition was for the best. Bella might agree. The other Cullens would instantly agree, anyway. Bella was simply still adapting to her new lifestyle and forgot often that she should limit her compassion for the world where she once belonged. I am sure this habit mainly comes from her memories of what life was like when she was a delicate human girl.

As I was about to pull out of her mind, I roamed over another thought that told me that she had already met Bella. I silently hoped that Bella was only welcoming her to the school. I pulled out of her mind and turned away from her. A light breeze began to blow through an open window across the classroom and caused Raven's hair to slightly lift from her face. Along with the wind, the smell of her scent traveled across to me, and I instantly felt an intense burning in my veins. It was almost agonizing to sit next to this human girl in this small classroom. It reminded me of my first meeting with Bella, which didn't help much. What happened next caused me to come very close to losing control of every one of my senses.

Raven suddenly lifted her head in order to catch a better glimpse of what was being written on the blackboard. I couldn't take my eyes off her in that instant. Raven had lifted her chin so that her throat was completely exposed. I closed my eyes, slowly taking in the scent of her neck….her blood….I tried with all my strength to block the scent that was becoming more and more suffocating by the second. Just like the voices. My thoughts raced inside my head and all I could see was her throat, knowing the pulse of her heart was beating softly beneath it. Her blood, so rich and thick, would be flowing like a red river in the hollow of that throat, and I could immediately feel every one of my senses perk up at the thought of this. I could feel that intense burning through my veins as I tried to shut out the feel of hunger that was coursing through my body. It would be so easy to bite into that delicate neck of hers in one swift movement. Plus, it had been a couple weeks since I last fed. Her blood filled every one of my senses and called to me like an angel would call harmoniously from the heavens. Then, Raven lowered her head again to the table and the overwhelming sense inside me dimmed just a bit. But it was still there, waiting for the next moment when it could willingly strike up again, and I wasn't sure I had the strength to stop myself if it came to that.

A moment later, the bell rang loudly and I jumped out of my seat as fast as I could in order to get out of the classroom. My senses began to slow and return to normal as I made my way into the crowded hallway, away from the girl who, besides Bella, made my senses go into overdrive. I didn't have to read Raven's mind to know that my hasty departure had left her with a disappointed, confused look upon her pretty features.

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_Raven_

I strode into the cafeteria and immediately did not know what to expect. My mind was still buzzing over the recent scene with Edward Cullen. Truth be told, I was stricken with confusion about his instant mood swing and the way he hastily left the classroom when the bell rang. I couldn't figure out if it was something I had said wrong to him. What could I have said? I forced the thought into the back of my mind and scanned the crowd, all the while searching for a familiar face, but I had not found any before someone touched my arm. Without hesitation, I lifted my head to stare into the amazing blue eyes of Elena. I noticed her voice hadn't lost any of the musical quality yet.

"Hey, I was hoping you could sit with me today, Raven. Come on, our table's over here." Elena grabbed my arm and walked towards a table in the center of the room. Elena settled herself in between Stefan and a girl that I did not know. She was small, and she had a head of red, curly hair. She smiled politely at me, and I saw that she had dimples and large, brown eyes that could probably melt anyone's heart. I sat down quickly next to Stefan, who also gave me an awkward smile. Elena brushed back her golden hair and motioned to the unfamiliar girl. "This is Bonnie, by the way. She's one of my good friends. Bonnie, this is the new girl, Raven Black." At these words, Bonnie's eyes grew even larger, if that was possible. Her red curls bounced as she turned her head towards me with bright, excited eyes. Bonnie greeted me in a small voice before grinning widely at me. "By the way, Bonnie says she's a bit psychic. Just giving you a fair warning, Raven," Elena added jokingly, and she laughed softly before Bonnie joined in the conversation.

"I _am_ psychic! You of all people know it, Elena!" I leaned towards Bonnie, my eyes suddenly wide. Stefan spoke swiftly before I could.

"Of course you are, Bonnie. Who could ever doubt someone like you?" I saw a bright glimmer in his brilliant green eyes and I couldn't help becoming enthusiastic with the conversation. I decided to try Bonnie.

"Is it true? Psychic, huh? Never met anyone psychic before." Bonnie looked towards me and gave me a great smile.

"Yep. I can predict a lot of stuff. Especially when I'm using something connected to the druids!" At this, Elena rolled her eyes dramatically, but she did not respond. Instead, she changed the subject of the conversation.

"So…why did you move here to Fell's church so suddenly? Just curious, you know." I took a deep breath before explaining. I thought this would come up sooner or later. Stefan broke the silence before I could begin; apparently he had sensed my displeasure of bringing up the details.

"If it is something particularly bothersome, then I'm sure you don't nee to feel any pressure about telling us. If it makes you feel uncomfortable…" I held up my hand to stop him from saying more and then put on a weak smile.

"No, it's okay. I need to talk about it anyway." I suddenly felt their eyes on me, listening carefully. A great sadness filled my chest, and I knew I had to release it sometime before it somehow changed who I was. "My mother just died in a car accident a week ago. I went to her funeral and then I was sent to live with my aunt. She was my mother's sister and next of kin. Now, I'm here." I looked up to see three pairs of concerned eyes. Elena was the first to respond, and I noticed her eyes looked the most concerned, almost to the point where she could have been the one experiencing those memories in my head. With her next words, I realized why.

"How horrible! If it makes you feel any better, you're not alone on that ship. My parents died in a car crash as well, and I also live with my aunt. It is a terrible world when it comes to events like that." I silently agreed with her as the three of them began turning the conversation around again. I wasn't exactly listening; I was focused on a group across the room. A group that contained Edward, Bella, and a few other students that I was unfamiliar with. I glanced back at Elena, who was now animatedly talking about going shopping with Bonnie over the weekend. I cut her off in midsentence.

"Hey, Elena, who are those people sitting with Edward Cullen and Bella Swan?" Elena twisted around in her seat to see who I was talking about. She turned back to face me with a look of amusement on her face. Bonnie was the one who began explaining.

"Oh, those are the Cullens. They're, like, brothers and sisters. They always sit together at lunch. The only one who sits with them and isn't a family member is Bella. She has been hanging around with the Cullens since they moved here, which was like….a year ago. Rumor has it that she's married to Edward Cullen!" I spun around in my seat to look at Edward and Bella. Married? But they were so young, possibly only eighteen. So, they were….married…but that still didn't explain the major resemblance. It was the one thing that still confused me about them. Elena motioned towards the pretty blonde girl who looked to be arguing with Bella.

"That's Rosalie Hale. She's in our first period, chemistry. She's with the guy next to her, Emmett. They're like a couple, even though they already live together. And that other guy is Jasper; he's with the small girl, Alice Cullen. She's in our English class, remember? The Cullens are all really nice, with perhaps a bit of an exception with Rosalie. You don't want to get on her bad side. They're nice, but they pretty much keep to themselves." I continued to look towards their table with increasing interest until Edward suddenly locked eyes with me. I instantly dropped my eyes and felt another wave of heat rush to my face. Elena laughed softly and Bonnie eventually joined in. Stefan broke into short laughter as he gazed over at me. I smiled weakly and, for no reason I could understand, laughed along with them until the bell rang for the start of the second half of my classes. I glanced back at the Cullen's table before I got to my feet, but the group was already gone.


	4. The Cemetery

Disclaimer: As much as I would like to, I do not own Vampire Diaries or Twilight. The authors, Stephanie Meyer and L.J. Smith, do. I only own the character of Raven Black. (=

Note: I love the reviews and I hope the people who are reading this story keep reading. This is the fourth chapter, and I do include Damon's POV in this part of the story. (= So, R&R and enjoy!

Chapter 4: The Cemetery

_Elena_

Finally, the school day was over. It had felt longer than usual, and all I had wanted to do was leave. I walked quickly towards the gate of the cemetery; I had an old urge to visit my parents' grave and just think without the pressure of having to put on a smile or be the one to break a long silence. I pushed open the gate and began walking around the white headstones. My legs were starting to ache, and all I wished to do was sit by parents' grave and perhaps write in my diary. For old time's sake.

I finally came to my parents' grave and set my backpack on the muddy ground. I dropped my red sweater on the ground and sat down on it. I silently said a prayer for my parents, and then dug out my diary. Before I started to write, I stared at the engraving on my parents' grave, particularly at their names. Sometimes, I wish they were still here for me; it might make a few things easier. I took out a pen and allowed myself to write.

_'Dear Diary,_

_I just survived the first day of school, and it wasn't easy. I still remember when I used to come out here to the cemetery and just write in silence. I don't know how I can keep trying so hard each day that everything is back to normal. People still give me weird looks and some of them don't even talk to me anymore. Caroline is now the 'golden girl' of the school, not me. I pretend not to notice the constant mocking looks and expressions of triumph on her face, but it is always getting harder. If it wasn't for Stefan and Bonnie, I am sure that I would have broken down already. _

_Time for a new subject…Oh, I just met the new girl at school today. She says her mom died in a car accident, which is why she moved here so suddenly. It made me think of my own parents again and how they died in a car crash. The girl, Raven, seems so nice, too. I can see she's trying to keep it all together, just like I used to. Just like I am. Apparently we're more alike than I thought._

_Something else seemed to distract her today, besides her mother's death. I could see it in her eyes. I also noticed the way she looked at both Edward Cullen and Stefan. It was that look that normally comes from the other girls; the look of fascination that they show for guys like them. Guys who are gorgeous, I mean. Raven seems to have an eye for the both of them. It just annoys me how she could look at Stefan that way when she knows he is mine. Okay, so maybe I am a bit jealous…or paranoid. She's just a new girl who probably needs a friend in this town. I am making her a secret promise in this diary that I will try my best to act as a friend to her. _

_She also seems to like Bella Swan, even if she does hold fascination for Edward. I like Bella, but she's not one of my closest friends, not like Bonnie anyway. I think my closest friend is Bonnie. I wish Meredith were here; she moved to another town where her boyfriend is currently teaching. I still can't believe she is dating a twenty year old, just like she can't believe I am still dating a vampire. I think they might even get engaged, at least Meredith hopes so. She is so happy around her boyfriend, and she is always the calm and collected one. Everything seems to be so easy for her. I am still holding my promise, though. I will try my hardest to be friends with Raven Black. Who knows? Maybe, she'll make me feel better than I've felt in a while.'_

I stopped writing in my diary and put the diary back in my bag. I meant the words I wrote. I wanted to act as a friend to Raven. Perhaps it would make the both of us feel a little better…

_Caww!_ My head shot up and I instantly met eyes with a black crow that was silently perched on my parents' grave. My eyes searched its black eyes. Its black eyes roamed over me, and I felt as if it was peering into my soul. I knew why. My eyes narrowed slightly and I pursed my lips at the bird. I didn't need his company today, and I was suddenly confused as to why he would return. Nonetheless, I had the little patience for it today, and my words came out sharper than I meant them to.

"Damon? Damon, I don't have time for you today. So why don't you go bother someone else?" I stepped towards the bird and swung my bag at it. It flew up into the sky and I breathed a sigh of relief. _Caww!_ I spun around to meet the bird's eyes now behind me on the opposite stone. It was fast, it had to be. It didn't surprise someone like me, who had once been inside that world for however short a time. I felt more irritation cover my face and I slowly stepped towards the bird. It carefully watched me, as if it was wondering whether I'd try to hit it again. I stopped mere inches from the bird, and it stared back into my eyes, in a way that was almost human. I tried to keep my voice soft and calm this time.

"Why are you here? I didn't think you belonged here anymore. I thought you left for good. Why don't you leave while you don't have a reason to be here?" The bird looked into my eyes a moment longer and then silently shot into the sky. In an instant, I lost sight of it. A cold wind brushed over my skin and flowed from behind me, causing my golden hair to whip around. I crossed my arms to try to stop the cold that was now filling the inside of my body. On the wind, I could have sworn I heard a soft, whispering voice answer my questions. I recognized the voice as belonging to Damon. What he whispered sent an even darker chill into my veins.

_"Elena…don't you see? I do have a reason to be here. And the reason's name is Raven."_ The cold wind died away and I was left, still shivering, with an icy chill in my body, one that I simply could not shake off.

___________________________________________________________________________________

_Damon_

I was perched on a windowsill at nearly eight in the morning. I was waiting for _her_ to awaken. It was a bright Saturday morning. Hopefully, she would awaken soon. I planned to 'meet' her today. Well, officially anyway. We had already met twice, though she didn't realize it yet. There was simply something about this new girl. I had to know her and, if I could, claim her. I was already planning to do all I could to claim her as my own. It was a desire I once held especially for Elena. Oh, Elena. She had looked more beautiful than I remembered. But my attention was now focused on this girl. Raven. She was almost as stunning as Elena. I turned my thoughts to the scene in the cemetery.

Elena had recognized me; no doubt she would have anyway. I wondered if she was going to run off and inform my pathetic brother. If so, it could cause complications…I was sure it wouldn't be too difficult to handle. I patiently watched as Raven dozed peacefully in her new bed, her hair spread beautifully on the pillow. Not for the first time, I wished I could walk into her bedroom, perhaps get closer to her. Perhaps run my hair softly through that silky hair while she slept. And that throat of hers…it would be pulsing rapidly and the scent of her rich blood would overtake me…

I also wanted to know what she was dreaming. I could feel a strange sensation coming from her, something different. I just couldn't exactly name what it was. But, oh, how fun it would be to chase her, play with her mind, claim her. It was something I just couldn't miss out on. I considered using my Power to wake her up, to have her invite me in though she wouldn't be the one in control of her actions. Perhaps I should read her mind and lose my self in it. I was about ready to do just that, but for some reason, I didn't feel the urge to choose any of those options. I didn't feel the strong urge to use my Power on her. Never mind it, then. I could just answer all those questions when I finally 'meet' her…

As I was deep in thought, I saw Raven's warm, brown eyes flutter open as she awoke. Now, the fun would begin. I watched as her tired eyes suddenly locked with mine. My thoughts began racing as I silently spoke to her inside my own mind. _'Yes, it is me again, my dear Raven. We'll get to know each other quite soon. Trust me, my dear; I will claim you for my own. On way or the other.'_ I flew up quickly into the sky just as she sat upright in her bed, her head already spinning from seeing the black crow for a third time in a row since she moved to Fell's Church.


	5. A Meeting With A Vampire

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or Vampire Diaries. The authors, L.J. Smith and Stephanie Meyer, own them completely. I only own the character of Raven Black. 

Note: For starters, there is only one word for this chapter: Damon!! I include Damon a lot in this chapter and plan on including him a lot in the next chapters as well. I hope everyone who is reading this story enjoy it and keep reading. Also, remember to R&R! I love all reviews, comments, ideas, questions, and constructive criticism. (= Enjoy!

Chapter 5: A Meeting with a Vampire

_Raven_

I shot upright in bed on that particular Saturday morning. My eyes had taken in the image of a black crow on my windowsill, watching me as if waiting for me to awake. By the time I had sat up in bed, it was already gone with a swiftness that I couldn't even begin to understand. I pushed the thought out of my head and tried to convince myself that I had still been dreaming. It didn't really work. I dressed and quickly rushed out of the house before I could wake my Aunt Carrie up. I had grabbed my bag, which contained my diary, and I planned to write today. First, I had to find a quiet place.

After a few minutes of walking, my legs seemed to take on a life of their own and I walked where they led me. The thought of writing in a place like the old cemetery had crossed my mind, and it almost felt as if I was being drawn to that one place. Within another minute or two, I was walking past the silent cemetery. I considered the atmosphere of the cemetery before entering; it was a lonely, silent place and I knew no one would really bother me there. I stepped up to the gate and pushed hard. The gates swung open with a creaking sound and I entered the old cemetery. I traveled hastily across the cemetery and over an old bridge that covered a small river. I kept walking until I came to a giant tree on a small hill. I dropped my bag on the ground and sat down against the tree trunk. It was a nice, quiet place; the kind you fall asleep in and not a soul was around to bother you.

Instead of considering the idea of dozing—even though it was still early in the morning—I grabbed my diary out of my bag and, after digging a pen out of one of the large pockets, I began to write.

_'Dear Diary, _

_It has been awhile since I last wrote in this diary. Too much sadness has taken place since then and I didn't even feel strong enough to put it in my own diary. I hope that doesn't qualify me as weak. I have been through so much in the past few days. First, my mom passed away. I still can't believe she's gone. Though, it does make me feel a bit better to know I'm not alone in that aspect. _

_Elena says her parents died in a car crash. It seems she is a lot like me, just trying to move through each day with as little sadness as possible. Maybe try to hold it together a bit longer, assure other people that we're fine even if we are slowly breaking on the inside. Then again, the first day of school wasn't bad. Elena seems like a really nice person. Her boyfriend, Stefan Salvatore, is completely gorgeous and I didn't think I could take my eyes off him. But he belongs to Elena, and is totally off-limits. So is Edward Cullen; he belongs to Bella. _

_Bella has been really nice, too. Perhaps I could make a friend out of her. Bonnie is simply….enthusiastic, which made me brighten up a bit. She claims she's psychic, but I don't know if it is true or not. She is very funny, though, and seems to be one of Elena's close friends. _

_That was the better of my days. I have been having strange dreams. It's always the same one; it's mainly about a crow in a cemetery, but there is also a guy there. I couldn't see his face clearly, but in the dream I felt as if I knew him. At one point, I actually felt as if I should be afraid of him, but I wasn't. Anyway, the dream didn't scare me. The black crow did. I saw it three times in a row and it always feels as if it is looking into my soul. I am trying to put it out of my mind. Perhaps it won't be so long before I use this diary again; I seem to have so much on my mind that I am trying to put into words."_

I put down my pen and I packed my diary into my bag. I was about to get up when I heard a loud cawing sound above my head. I quickly got to my feet and searched the tree. I didn't have to look long to find the black crow again. What, was it following me everywhere? What did it want anyway? The bird was perched on a low branch, as if it had been reading over my shoulder. An icy wind blew through the cemetery, and it was stronger than any wind I've felt before.

My black hair whipped in front of my eyes and my body seemed to freeze up from the cold. I pushed my hair back and started stepping away from the tree, all the while noticing the absence of the bird. The wind stopped blowing as quickly as it had started. I turned hastily to leave and ended up slamming into something, or rather some_one._

I turned my head to look into the dark eyes of an incredibly attractive guy. One that I had not met at school and—as far as I knew—didn't have any connections with anyone at my school. Then again, I chastised myself and began thinking that someone that good-looking could not be single. Right? Slowly, I took in the details of how good-looking he actually was.

He had dark eyes that were staring with amusement into my own eyes. He also had straight, dark brown hair and amazing features, not to mention an excellent build. His smile was somewhat sly, as if he knew something. His voice caused my heart to beat a little faster.

"My apologies. I hope I didn't…scare you too much. My name is Damon, by the way. May I inquire as to what yours is?" I swallowed lightly. My heart was beating faster than usual. For some reason, I suddenly felt that there was something not right about this meeting; that I should be afraid of this person standing in front of me. It was a minute before I had the sense to offer my name.

"Raven Black," my voice came out somewhat shaky. He smiled at me and slowly stepped towards me. Without thinking about it, I stepped backward. The feeling that something was wrong here increased slightly. His voice was smooth and now contained a hint of amusement, just like his eyes.

"Raven Black. Now, that is an interesting name, if I do say so myself." Damon stepped towards me again and I stepped back again. A tingle of anxiety and maybe something like fear crawled up my spine. I didn't know why I was afraid now, but I continued to sense that there was something wrong about this particular scene. After a pause, he continued. "You know, a girl as pretty as you should not be going through a cemetery by herself. You never know what could happen, what could be out there watching you." I constantly stepped backward as he stepped closer and I searched for a way out of this situation. Perhaps I could run…

"Perhaps…you don't realize what kind of guy I am. I know _they_ would never tell you, if only for your safety. Would you like to know, Raven?" I stepped back about two more steps before I slammed into the tree trunk. Damon leaned on the tree trunk, leaned towards me, letting me know that I was now trapped like a mouse was trapped with a snake. All I could do was look back into his dark eyes and keep my mind closed about what could be coming next. I decided to try to get him to back off.

"Look, I was simply walking home. I should be going now or my aunt might be worried.' I made to move around him, but he grabbed my wrists and pinned them above my head, allowing him to lean even closer. His voice was suddenly dark and soft.

"Leaving so soon? I think we should get to know each other a little better, don't you?" Something seemed to take hold of me in that instant. I suddenly felt weak, as if Damon's grip on my wrists was the only thing keeping me standing. I felt the fear and anxiety slip away, and I immediately wanted to listen to every word he had to say. His eyes were the only thing I was focusing on, as if I was hoping to get lost in them. He carefully lifted my face to expose more of my throat. I could feel my pulse beating rapidly in the hollow of my throat. I felt everything else around me fade away. For the first time since this scene started, I felt ready to give in to Damon. I wanted to, no matter the consequences.

I was instantly aware of him leaning ever closer, and I wondered if his intention was to kiss me. More surprising was the fact that I didn't know what to think about the idea, but a small part of me wanted him to kiss me. I felt his lips touch my neck and I wanted him to continue what he was doing. I then felt his teeth against my skin, just moving over the skin slowly.

Then the weak feeling stopped as suddenly as a mirror crashing into shards. I wanted to break this scene off. Damon's lips were still on my neck, but I didn't feel the urge to give in to him anymore. Instead, my voice rang out clear and sharp.

"_Stop!_ Stop doing this to me. I have to leave." I immediately moved around Damon before he could pin me back to the tree. I started walking away and didn't stop until I wondered if he was going to follow me. I turned around slowly, but Damon wasn't there. I stopped in my tracks and let my eyes wander around the cemetery. Damon was gone, almost as if he vanished. I was about to turn around and head home when my eye caught the sight of a black crow in the tree. I turned and rushed back to the safety of my new home. __________________________________________________________________________

_Damon_

I watched quietly as Raven walked away. There was simply something different about this particular girl. I had been so close to having her under my complete control. No one could resist the Power I placed on her. Somehow, she broke out of it. I didn't know how, but I was going to find out. No one resists my Power. I suddenly felt a burning sensation in my body. I needed to feed soon. It was most likely due to the Power I just used on Raven. I could have taken a little blood from her; that blood would have tasted so sweet, so irresistible…

The burning feeling increased at the thought of this. I felt my mouth start to ache in the way it did whenever I needed to feed. I tried to focus on something else for a minute. Her diary entry had been so ordinary, up until that last part about her dream. Now, I knew what she was dreaming about. I found that my attempt to read her mind while she was sleeping did not work. For some reason, I could not read her thoughts while she was sleeping. It actually sounded as if she was dreaming about…_me._ I decided to watch her closely for a while. She might turn out to be one human worth knowing. But human nonetheless. Humans were always so weak, so delicate, and so easy to break and take. Perhaps another meeting with her wouldn't be so easy to resist.

It seems she's already met my poor brother. That won't do for me. Raven is mine. I flew up into the sky and away, towards the section of small houses where, hopefully, a meal would be waiting.


	6. I Know What You Are

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or Twilight. The authors, Stephanie Meyer and L.J. Smith, completely own these series. I only own Raven Black. 

Note: Here is the next chapter. I hope the readers keep reading and reviewing! I love all reviews, questions, comments, ideas, and constructive criticism. I love all the reviews I get and it helps to keep my story going. (= So….R&R and enjoy. 

Chapter 6: I Know What You Are

_Raven_

I stayed up late that night, searching on my laptop for an answer to my questions. What was Damon? I intended to find out. I typed in a few keywords into Google, but kept coming up short. I reconsidered—for what must have been the twentieth time—the idea of putting off my research until the following day. It was already ten at night and I was pretty sure that my aunt had fallen asleep on the couch downstairs. Instead of giving in to the idea of sleep, I thought again about Damon.

For starters, his skin had been ice cold; I felt it when he touched me and when he placed his lips against my neck. Then, there was that trance-like feeling that I had felt when I was close to him. It had felt as if I was in a trance and someone was manipulating me into giving in to Damon. Whatever had happened, the spell had been broken before anything dangerous took place. What if Damon was the one who had been pulling those strings? I typed more details into the search engine and came up with a string of results. None of the results helped any, and I was about to click out of the screen when single word caught my eye.

It was the word 'vampire'. I hastily clicked on the link and a black window came up. The word 'vampire' was emblazoned in a red that was almost the color of blood. A paragraph of information appeared and my eyes grew wide as I read it. I zoomed in on words such as 'cold', 'agility', 'strength', and a sentence that explained the theory of how vampires could transform into other creatures such as bats, ravens, or crows. The website also described how pale and exquisite a vampire could look, or how some vampires were believed to have various powers of the mind in order to manipulate their victims. The information went on for another three pages. Was it really coincidence that all these facts made sense when I thought of someone like Damon?

It made sense in my mind. Everything about Damon's actions earlier that day made sense. More than that, I began thinking of people like Bella, Edward, the Cullens, and even Stefan. It all started to come together in my mind. They were all exquisitely gorgeous, pale, and…different. They were fast; I had noticed it whenever they left a class or exited the lunchroom. Perhaps this also explained the unique look of their eyes, especially since they had been different from any kind of eyes I had seen before. It all started to fit together, like a simple jigsaw puzzle. I knew I finally had my answer. I just had to wonder what I was going to do with it.

___________________________________________________________________

_Bella_

I knew something was wrong the minute Raven sat down beside me in our first period. There was something about her expression that sounded an alarm in my head; it looked as if she was deep in thought and she kept studying me from time to time. I knew she had her second period class with Edward and I wondered if he would catch her strange behavior. I watched as her attention lingered on the lapis lazuli ring I constantly wore next to me wedding ring. Then, her eyes would search my eyes. I wondered if she knew. I suddenly realized that she had the same look that I once wore when I discovered Edward's secret of being a vampire. But if she did know, how did she find out in the first place? Did someone tell her or do something to attract her suspicions?

I glanced over at Elena with a look of alarm and discomfort on my face. She instantly caught it and presumed to stare suspiciously at Raven's back. Without looking away, she passed a note to Stefan, who in turn looked towards Raven suspiciously. We were all thinking the same thing at that very moment. Did she know? How could she possibly know when none of us gave her any noticeable signs?

I slowly twisted a strand of my dark hair around a finger and looked back at Raven, who was now apparently focusing on the teacher. I knew she wasn't really paying attention because every once in a while she would look down at her notebook. If my heart had still been beating, I am sure it would have skipped a beat. Raven did the same thing every time she looked down at the notebook; she repeatedly doodled what looked to be a black crow on her notebook.

_____________________________________________________________________

_Elena_

She knew something. I didn't know how, but she knew. Raven's behavior had been strange throughout the school day. At lunch, I hurriedly slid in between Stefan and Bonnie at our usual table and did not waste any time in explaining my suspicions. Bonnie's large brown eyes expanded as I told them my theory.

"I think she knows. I have no idea how she found out, but I think she knows about…you know. The vampires." I stated this last word in a small whisper and Bonnie's eyes seemed to grow even wider in disbelief. Stefan held a look of suspicion on his face, but was otherwise reasonably calm. When no one spoke, I continued carefully. "Raven knows. I mean, her behavior has been strange all day. She always seems lost in thought and she always keeps studying Bella and the Cullens…I just think she knows." I paused to catch my breath and Bonnie eagerly took up the conversation.

"How can she possibly know? None of us said or did anything…I didn't say a single word about it! I never would, Elena." I put my hand on her arm to stop her form saying more.

"I know that, Bonnie. Bella told me she saw Raven drawing pictures of a black crow in her notebook. And on Friday, I was in the cemetery writing in my diary." At this point, I ignored the dark look that came over Stefan's face when I told them this. Instead, I placed my hand in his and continued. "Anyway, I was leaving when I saw a black crow watching me in a way that was completely…human." I saw Stefan's expression grow darker and I knew what he was thinking. He only responded with one word. It was a word we had all come to be familiar with.

"Damon." Bonnie's eyes grew ever wider—and I actually thought her eyes could pop out of their sockets—at the possibility that Damon, Stefan's brother, could have something to do with this. I nodded slowly. My voice suddenly came out shaky at the idea of this.

"Yes, I saw him. He said…he said he wanted to claim Raven. He mentioned it was his reason for being here." If it was possible, Stefan's eyes grew immensely dark at these words. I knew Damon would attempt to do all he could to claim Raven. After all, it was what he had tried to do with me back when we first met. I still wasn't completely sure that the idea of Damon claiming me had truly escaped his mind. I opened my mouth to speak, but thought better of it when Raven glided over to our table and sat down beside Bonnie.

"Hey, guys. What's up? You all look incredibly worried about something." For the first time, all three of us—Stefan, Bonnie, and I—were completely silent. None of us could find words to say or even argue with Raven's statement, especially since it was undeniably true. What exactly were the right words to say when you felt that your world—your darkest secret—was suddenly on the brink of reaching the breaking point?

_________________________________________________________________________

_Raven_

The next time I saw Damon, or rather the black crow, was when I was lying on my bed and finishing the rest of my homework. The large window was closed and it was beginning to feel a bit stuffy in my room, even though I tried not to notice while working on my assignments. A soft tapping sound made me glance up at the window where the crow was once again sitting on my windowsill. I slowly got up from the bed and edged towards the window. I unlatched the lock and swung the doors of the window open. The crow tilted its head and looked into my room before eyeing me, as if to ask for permission to enter.

Instead, I sat down on the cushioned window seat and leaned towards the bird. It watched me suspiciously, as if wondering about my intentions. I spoke softly to it while still hoping to add a little sharpness to my tone.

"I know what you are now." The crow looked into my eyes and tilted its head slightly in a way that struck me as a suggestion of amusement. "I figured it out, you know. You're a…." For some reason, I couldn't make the word come. I must have considered the fact that I looked ridiculous talking to a crow in this human way, and I prayed that my aunt wouldn't stride past my bedroom anytime soon. I was usually good at talking my way out of sticky situations, but I had no clue how to explain this one. Finally, I gathered enough strength to release the word from my mouth.

"Vampire." The black crow seemed to dip its head, as if nodding in approval. "I know your skin is ice cold. I know you wear a ring because of the sunlight. The others do, too. I also know you have this power to turn into a…well…crow." The bird seemed to be listening intently to my words. Now, time for the real question. "So…if all that is true, why do you want me?" The crow stared deep into my eyes, and then immediately started pecking at the wood on the windowsill. After a minute, it lifted its head at me, nodded once more, and flew off towards the horizon. I looked down at the two words that the crow somehow pecked into the wood, and an icy chill slid down my spine and through my veins.

_'You're mine.'_

_________________________________________________________________________

_Stefan_

I was standing outside of the old boardinghouse, watching as the stars gleamed in the night sky and thinking about Elena's words from earlier that day. Raven knew about vampires. I was sure that Elena was correct in saying that Damon was the reason for Raven's newfound knowledge. As I was running through these thoughts in my mind and trying to fight back the wave of hunger that was slowly filling my body, I sensed a familiar presence close to me. I turned to meet the cool eyes of a large, black crow. I recognized it immediately and my eyes narrowed with a mixture of irritation and anger. My voice came out sharp and furious.

"Damon. We need to talk. _Now._" A sudden whirlwind enveloped me, but I didn't react to it. The icy wind was too familiar and my senses didn't react to the wind like a human's body would. When the wind died down, I was looking into the dark eyes of my brother. There was a sly smile playing on his lips, but his eyes were unreadable and cold. His voice was somewhat mocking.

"What, no happy greeting? That is very disappointing, my dear brother. And here I always had the impression that you were the 'saint', huh? You look a bit frustrated, I must tell you." I felt my hands clench as he started laughing softly.

"Stay away from Raven. You don't belong here anymore." Damon's eyes filled with sheer amusement at both the sound of Raven's name and the boiling anger that lay under those words. Damon's voice had taken a different tone; it was less mocking and calmer than I had ever heard it.

"First Elena, now Raven. You are always the protector, aren't you? Ah, Raven. That girl is something. We are becoming such good friends already. She's the only thing I want right now. Unless you still want to change your mind about the beautiful Elena. I am sure I could handle the both of them just fine, my dear brother." Damon stepped lightly towards me as I felt a deeper surge of anger fill my veins at the mention of Elena. I tried to change the direction of the conversation a little, in hopes of keeping Damon's focus away from Elena.

"You told her about us vampires, didn't you? You told her. Why, so you could have a bit of fun apart from sinking your teeth into helpless humans?" Damon stopped in his tracks and allowed my words to sink in. Surprisingly, he ignored my claim about his habit of feeding on humans.

"Me? No, I didn't tell her a thing. I promise you that. Clever girl, she figured it out for herself. I promise, I didn't even mention a word." Damon continued to move around me and turned to look at him directly in the eyes. When I didn't respond, Damon kept going. "You know, we had some fun in that old cemetery. A shame you weren't there to see it. She was actually very close to giving in to me. So close, I could practically taste that sweet, rich blood of hers. You should have seen the way it was pulsing in her throat…I could almost imagine it was Elena's." All of a sudden, I couldn't control my anger any longer. I grabbed Damon and, with a speed that would be almost impossible for a human eye to see, I pinned him to the side of the boardinghouse.

Damon spun out of my grasp quickly and pushed me off him, shoving me so hard that I landed a good few feet from the boardinghouse. Damon, as smooth as a snake, was at my side in an instant. His voice was suddenly cold and almost cruel.

"Don't ever threaten me, brother. Remember, I am much stronger than you are." Damon paused and allowed me to get to my feet. The next time he spoke, his voice had returned to its calm tone. "Besides, Raven actually resisted my Power, so you don't have to worry about her yet. I didn't do anything to her. But I do want her, there's no denying that. I _will_ have her. It would be best if you stay out of my way…brother." Damon stepped back a few steps, waiting for me to respond.

"Leave…her…_alone_, Damon." Damon simply smiled once more and turned to leave. His voice had instantly turned dark and cold.

"We'll just see, brother. We'll just see." A burst of cold wind rushed over me and, in the next moment, my brother was gone.


	7. I'm Not Afraid of You

Disclaimer: I do not own either Vampire Diaries or Twilight. The ones who do are Stephenie Meyer and L.J. Smith. I only own the character of Raven Black.

Note; Thank you for any reviews, it really helps to keep my story going. I hope any readers keep reading. Also…R&R! I love all reviews, comments, questions, ideas, and constructive criticism. (= Enjoy.

Chapter 7: I'm Not Afraid of You

_Raven_

The following school day seemed more awkward than my first day at this high school. There was a thick silence between Bella, Elena, Stefan, and I. It wasn't exactly a silence suggesting anger, which made me feel a little less tense. It was more of the type of silence where no one knew the right words to say. I knew that feeling; it had happened countless times at my mother's funeral or after the incident of her death became clear. The most they would do is smile softly at me before dropping their eyes. I didn't know what to say, either. What right way was there to bring up the subject of knowing about vampires, a subject that I had previously believed was childish myth? I wasn't sure there was one, and I was afraid that mentioning it would only push my new friends farther away.

It was especially frustrating not being able to talk to Elena or Bella like I normally would. When the silence continued, I simply put up with it rather than turn to my own thoughts. I was sure that if I did, I would discover the idea of Damon crowding my mind, something I wasn't sure I was comfortable with yet. What were you supposed to do if you couldn't get the thought of a vampire off your mind? It wasn't like there was a handbook on this stuff. Throughout my whole day, my whole head was filled with the thought of vampires. It felt trapped inside my skull without any promise of escaping. It didn't help that I was later forced to face someone most unpleasant in my math class. No, it only added to the uncomfortable atmosphere that was slowly suffocating my once simple world.

The person I had to face was Caroline Forbes. I didn't really know her, but apparently she knew a lot about me. The minute I walked into the classroom, Caroline turned a pair of annoyed eyes on me and a mocking expression began to show on her face. She brushed back a piece of light blonde hair from her face, and then she spoke just loud enough for me to hear.

"Wow, what do you know? It's another Elena. Isn't one enough?" Her friends giggled at this, and a sudden burst of anger filled my veins. Caroline, completely unaware of the immediate change in my face, continued sarcastically. "Hey, maybe she is more like Elena than we think. I mean, did you see the way she was looking at Stefan and Edward? Like I said, what can you possibly do with two that you can't do with one? She's just like Elena. So perfect, but such a sl—"

"_Shut up!_" I broke Caroline off before she could get the word out. Anger was visible on Caroline's face as she realized I had spoken up. She stood from her chair to face me, which I didn't figure as much of a threat since she was literally a foot shorter than me. Her eyes were narrowed in irritation, but I simply stared back coolly. I was sure that if there was a mirror in the classroom, her expression would easily be mimicking the look that had covered my own face. Her voice had instantly switched from simple mocking to plain disbelief.

"What did you just say to me?" Her face held more anger now as she formed these words. I imagined that Caroline thought I should be afraid of someone like her; apparently everyone else in the school was hesitant towards getting on her bad side. I guess I should have informed her that she was crossing the wrong girl now. My words became unfamiliarly cold and perhaps threatening.

"You heard me fairly well, Caroline. I can easily assure you that Elena is a much better person than you will ever be. Besides, if any person deserves that kind of hatred right now, it's probably you." I ignored her shocked look and decided to finish with a few words that would cause her to think again about making me her target. "And as for me…well, I'm not so much like Elena as you think. Mainly because I'm not afraid or hesitant to kick your ass for the kind of insults that were about to come out of that pretty mouth of yours." I turned on my heel and left Caroline staring dumbfounded as I slid gracefully into my seat. Whispers and roars of laughter erupted in the classroom and I couldn't help but to smile somewhat proudly for what I had done. Truth be told, the result of that amusing scene made me feel a little better.

______________________________________________________________________

_Caroline_

Late that night, I was preoccupied with spilling every one of my thoughts into my diary. I was completely furious at that new girl, Raven. That scene today made every inch of my body burn with anger. I could still hear the sound of everyone's laughter and jeering from earlier that day; it constantly bounced around my skull and would not cease. For someone like her to make a complete fool out of someone like me…the idea was just ridiculous. But it had happened. I closed my diary and stepped close to my window. I was pretty sure it was close to midnight and dark shadows clung to the window. However, my attention was still focused on Raven. I was planning to get her back. Someway, somehow…

_Crack!_ A sound had come from outside, somewhere close to the house. It had been surprisingly sharp and caused me to think that it was coming from somewhere within the shadows of the front yard. I stepped back from the window and began to twist a strand of my light hair as I waited for another noise to come. Sure enough, another sharp sound followed a moment later. A sudden thought came to mind and a new surge of anger shot up within my body. It was probably Tyler, trying to scare me before making his way into my house.

I quickly grabbed a flashlight from my desk drawer and switched it on. I softly crept down the stairs wearing nothing but my silk pajamas and two mismatched socks. One red, one blue. I quietly reached the landing and edged the front door open, hoping to avoid waking my mother up. I slipped out into the darkness and searched for any sign of a figure creeping towards me. All I could see were shadows looming in front of me. I also noticed that it was extremely cold out despite the fact that it had been near eighty degrees earlier in the day. I took a few more steps into the yard and hoped that Tyler wouldn't jump out at me anytime soon. I stopped when I felt a strange sense of being watched. I didn't know whether to call out to Tyler or to keep moving into the depths of the intimidating shadows.

At that moment, someone's fingers curled around my arms. I gasped and then let out a breath of relief that this was the only thing Tyler was trying. "Tyler, what the hell—" I suddenly allowed my voice to fade away. These hands didn't feel like Tyler's hands…They felt ice cold and different. All of a sudden, the hands lifted my body into the air with such strength that I was sent flying. I shrieked loudly and felt my throat burn with the effort. I landed on the hard ground with a painful impact, and I was sure I heard something in my body break. The figure, whoever it was, leaned over me and I felt my consciousness slip away as the figure pierced its sharp teeth into my skin…

____________________________________________________________________

_Raven_

Caroline was in the hospital. Elena had reported the news to me during our first period, and she told me that Caroline had apparently been attacked by something. Elena had informed me that Caroline was suffering from a large wound to her upper chest—particularly her throat—and more than a few broken bones. The police thought it was an animal. The students at school thought it was me. However, after seeing the dark look in Elena's blue eyes at the mention of this incident, it was clear she was thinking the same thing as me. It was a vampire. I was bothered by the whole thing. Sure, I had gotten into a bad situation with Caroline just the day before, but I didn't want her dead. Well, at least she wasn't dead yet.

I had walked directly from my school to the old cemetery that day. I wanted to speak to one person and one person only. I entered the cemetery and quickly moved among the headstones until I reached the huge tree that I had first spent time under while writing in my diary. I paused and glanced around, but I didn't see a black crow anywhere. Now's the time he chooses not to follow me around…Instead, I called him and somehow I knew he would hear me.

"_Damon!_ Damon, we need to talk. I know you can hear me." My voice was drowned out by a sudden gust of wind that sent chills down my arms. I ignored the feeling. I watched as the skies grew threateningly black and the cold wind seemed to wrap itself around me. I sucked in my breath and, on the top of my lungs, screamed out at the blackened skies. "Stop it! Just quit it, Damon! I'm not afraid of you. Do you hear me? I'm not afraid of you!"

"You should be, my dear." The voice came so abruptly from behind me, and I ended up jumping back, which caused Damon to laugh quietly. It took me a few seconds to realize that the abusive wind had finally died down and it was eerily silent throughout the cemetery. I felt confidence slowly fill my body again and I attempted to speak with a steady voice.

"I'm not afraid of you. I know what you are, but I am not scared of you, Damon." He walked around me, as if I was a meal that he was observing before actually striking. His voice was constantly calm and collected.

"You are the either the strongest or the most foolish human I have ever met. And you figured it out on your own? I'll give you a little credit for that." He had stopped pacing around me and was now inches in front of me. His dark eyes seemed to burn into mine and I couldn't look away while I spoke.

"Actually, you were the one who slipped up. Or did you fail to realize that?" My voice was sharp like a knife, and I wasn't sure if it would make him mad that I was talking to him this way. To my surprise, he smiled and began to laugh. I broke off his laughter with the reason I showed up here, my voice yet again coming out sharper than I intended. "What did you do to Caroline Forbes?" Damon immediately stopped laughing and his expression became serious. Perhaps I had finally hit a target in him. However, his words suggested denial of any such scene.

"Me? I didn't touch her; you have my word on that. Someone else obviously got to her. Looks like my kind, don't you think?" I gave him a stern look before answering.

"How do I know your word is reliable? For all I know, you could have been the vampire who attacked her and you're just trying to lead me in the wrong direction." Damon stepped closer to me and I felt a kind of chill slide down my spine. It was different from the icy chill I got from his wind; it was the type of chill that suggested a hint of pleasure or desire that Damon was this close to me. I didn't know if I should consider that a good thing or a bad one. His voice came out strong and steady.

"I never break my word, my dear. Never." In the next moment, Damon brushed his fingers across my cheek and into the darkness of my hair. The only thing I saw was his eyes. There was something in his eyes when he said that. I then thought about the words he had drilled into my windowsill, the words that assured me that he intended to get to me. My voice barely came out in a whisper, but I knew he was listening.

"I believe you. So…you're saying there's another vampire hunting around this area then?" Damon simply nodded at my words. I wondered if Damon knew the vampire that was lurking through Fell's Church. A new look suddenly appeared in Damon's eyes; it was the look of amusement or a look that suggested that he knew something. "Well? I am assuming you heard my question." Damon released his hand from my hair and instead turned my face up in order to stare directly into my eyes.

"You know, your eyes are darker than any other human eyes I have ever seen. They are mysteriously dark and immensely beautiful at the same time. Almost as dark as mine, huh?" His words had the effect that he was most likely hoping for. I felt a small smile reach my face and all thoughts of Caroline's attacker disappeared. In that instant, I wanted to know what he was thinking. I wanted to know more about him. Damon's lips twitched into a slow smile, and I knew he must have received my thoughts in his head.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, we spent time in the cemetery talking. I wasn't sure how long we had been there, or when my aunt would start to worry about me. At that point, the rest of the world didn't matter any longer; everything that did not revolve around spending this time with Damon seemed to just drift away. All I wanted to do was talk with Damon. I told him about my reason for moving, about how my mother had passed away. He listened carefully to my words and answered any questions that I had about his nature of being a vampire. Damon told me about his relation to Stefan, something I had not previously known. He also told me about how he had become a vampire, though I was sure he was leaving out a few details such as why he and Stefan first tried to kill each other. We talked for what seemed like hours, and it occurred to me that Damon had lost his aura of intimidation when he opened up to me.

By the time there was any sign of the sun slipping away, we had talked in a way that I had not talked to anyone before. Damon actually agreed to drive me back to my aunt's house since it was growing ever darker. In truth, I felt ten times better after spending the afternoon with Damon. He was different from anyone I had known before.

Once I settled into my room and assured my aunt that I was safe and okay, I realized I couldn't sleep. My head was buzzing with various thoughts of the afternoon, especially of Damon. It seemed he was temporarily stuck in my head. By eleven, I concluded that I was never going to fall asleep and I could still faintly hear my aunt moving around the kitchen. I decided that a talk with her about these thoughts—just the simple boy matters—might not be so bad. I quietly crept down the carpeted stairs of my aunt's house—I was still not used to thinking of it as my house—and I padded softly into the kitchen.

The only light that was on was over the white stove. My aunt was turned away from me, towards the framed picture of the young girl. I walked cautiously up to her chair, making enough noise to let her know that I was there, and she turned her head to show that she acknowledged my presence. Her eyes were swimming with tears and her cheeks were completely wet. Her eyes turned back to the picture. At this moment, my thoughts evaporated in my mind and I knew I had to do the hard thing. I knew I had to ask.

"Aunt Carrie?" She turned her head back slightly, waiting for my words. "Aunt Carrie…what happened to that girl in the picture?" My aunt sat still for another minute. Then, she patted the chair next to her. I sat down slowly, my eyes never leaving her teary blue ones, and I waited. I realized it was time for my aunt to tell her story.


	8. Aunt Carrie's Story

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, Twilight, or anything associated to these series including characters, and places. The authors, Stephenie Meyer and L., do. I only own the character of Raven Black. 

Note: The eighth chapter is here! I hope everyone who is reading this story keeps reading it, and remembers to R&R. Reviews, questions, comments, and constructive criticism are greatly loved. (= Enjoy. 

Chapter 8: Aunt Carrie's Story

_Aunt Carrie_

I carefully wiped away the fallen tears that were spilling silently onto my cheeks, and then I drew in a ragged breath. A shudder swept through my body as my mind focused on one of the worst days of my life, the day I lost my own blood. It didn't help any that the image of my sister's face kept looming into the corners of my mind, and that the realization that Raven was my only family left haunted me tonight. I watched as Raven hesitantly sat down on the chair next to mine, and waited without speaking. God, she reminded me so much of my own and it was becoming painful to look at her. When I finally found the strength to speak about that tragic incident, I found I could not tear my eyes away from the framed picture of my little girl. More silent tears rolled down my face, though I did nothing to stop them. Honestly, I didn't think I had any more tears to cry, but life is always mysterious that way. I allowed the tears to flow, and it seemed to help to concentrate on those tears rather than focus too much on that picture in front of me. It was time for Raven to know. To know she wasn't the only one who had secrets of grief, who was struggling through harsh times and always trying to move slowly through life no matter how hard it seemed at times.

"My Leslie. She was…my daughter. Your cousin. I can still remember the last time I saw her. It was on her birthday…and she had just turned sixteen. She was a year younger than you." I glimpsed at Raven's expression, and I knew she was thinking the same thing as me. Leslie was her cousin, and she was a girl that Raven would never meet. A girl that she would never get to know or understand. My body shuddered again with a new wave of sobs before I gathered more strength to continue.

"She used to be so much like you, you know. Always the one to try to grow up quickly, and try to be everything she could. Leslie was amazing at so many things, especially art. My, she was very artistic and she always wanted to grow to be an artist. When I look at her picture, I can almost imagine being close to her again. I always…I always used to comb out her long silky hair in the morning and make her chocolate chip pancakes, much like your mother used to do with you." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Raven wince at the mention of her mother. The poor girl was only a teenager and already without her mother to guide her through the hardships of life. I noticed Raven taking in a deep breath as she let my words sink in, and then she nodded to let me go on with my story.

"I actually…made her this huge cake for her birthday, and I can still picture the large smile that she gave me when I brought her into the kitchen. I had also bought her a car for her birthday, to have when she finally got her license. She was so happy, and I couldn't help feeling so joyous that day for my daughter's own happiness. I still remember the last time I spoke to her and held her." Raven slowly turned her head towards me and I waited for her response. Her voice was whispery and stricken with grief.

"What happened to her, Aunt Carrie? What happened…that night?" I gazed at Raven for another few seconds before turning back to the picture, mentally preparing myself for the worst of the story.

"I last saw her when she was…going out with her friends. Her best friend was going to drive the new car, since she was a year older and had her license. I allowed my girl, my Leslie, to go out with her friends that night because the idea made her so happy. Plus, she had been so hardworking throughout the school year and I wanted to give her a bit of a break from all that. I hugged her so hard that night, and I told her to be home by ten." I drew in another unsteady breath and closed my eyes tight, afraid for what was to come in my story. The memories flooded through my head like a fast river, and I couldn't stop them from coming.

"That night, she was very late. I called her phone numerous times, but she didn't answer. It wasn't like her to ignore my calls, and I was so confused about it. I started to freak out a bit, and I tried to calm myself down with the thought that perhaps she just partying or hanging out with her friends. I called the police after eleven, and they instantly put on a search. They came back to my house before midnight, and they found her….they found her body in the old cemetery. They came back to inform me of her…" I knew I didn't have to finish my sentence; the shocked look on Raven's face told me she understood the idea. Tears started flowing even faster now, and I could even see that Raven's eyes were swimming with tears.

"Her throat had been…damaged severely, as if someone…bit her first and kept going. They thought a wild animal might have attacked her, and that the animal killed her instantly. At least, that's what they told me. I cried that entire night and I didn't stop until about three in the morning. What makes it worse is that tomorrow would have been her seventeenth birthday. Perhaps you would have met her…you would have liked her, Raven. I still remember how happy she used to be."

At that instant, I began to sob harder than I had before, and my body shook with waves of grief. I felt Raven place a comforting hand on my shoulder, and then quietly leave the confines of the kitchen; she was most likely leaving me in peace so that I could have time to think. I hoped my story wouldn't cause her much more grief than she was already facing. Before I stood up to leave the kitchen, I took a last long look at the picture of Leslie, and I couldn't help the words that slowly reached the surface of my mind.

_'Oh, Leslie…my dear girl, I'm so sorry.'_

________________________________________________________________________

_Raven_

My aunt's story had been tragic, something that would eventually burn itself into my mind. I had a cousin, one that probably called this her home and claimed my new room as her room. Leslie. I pondered over my lost cousin's name, feeling the lightest touches of sadness in my heart. I felt that my aunt was right; I would have liked her. She had sounded like any other normal teenager, not yet struck down by any particular plague of sadness or change. She was a person that I would never know. It almost made my heart ache in the way it would if I lost a close friend or sister. Truth be told, I could feel the wet trail of tears on my cheeks and I could not bring myself to brush them away. They were tears that I had rarely cried at my own mother's funeral, but now I encouraged them to flow after hearing about a girl I never knew. A stranger. The grief had been too much in the past days and my barricade was starting to break.

I trained my thought on another idea. Something about my aunt's story wasn't right. Something had triggered a new kind of realization. Something…what was it that I was trying so hard to focus on? Leslie died at an unbearably young age and, if fate hadn't taken her away, I would have met her and known her. So, what else was I trying to think about?

_'Her throat had been…damaged severely, as if someone…bit her first and kept going…'_ My aunt's voice crawled across my mind and her words echoed deep in my head. I suddenly remembered what it was that I had figured out when listening to my aunt's crying and sobbing. At first, I might have agreed that Leslie was attacked by an animal. Now, I had a better idea of what got to her. My bet was on vampires. In the sudden twisting of my stomach, I knew I was right.


	9. I Dream of Damon

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, Twilight, or anything associated with these series including characters and places. The only ones who do own it (completely) are Stephenie Meyer and L.J. Smith. The only character I own is Raven Black. 

Note: This is the ninth chapter and I hope to be continuing soon. Remember to R&R and keep reading! All reviews are loved and help to keep the story going. So….enjoy! (=

Chapter 9: I Dream of Damon

_Raven_

I was asleep the instant my head hit the pillow, which has not happened since the day I lost my mother. Usually, I have nightmares that wait for me to close my eyes and submit to the darkness. Those dreams have haunted me for days on end now and I was surprised to see a new change in my sleeping patterns. Besides the dream of the crow in the cemetery, I have been having the same exact dream of my mother slipping away from me. Though it was a relief to have a different dream, it was still one strange dream to deal with…

_I was in the cemetery, I knew that at once. I could see hundreds of rows of headstones; they seemed to reach on until forever. A light breeze lifted my hair off my shoulders. I peered down at my attire and was instantly taken aback to see that I was wearing a flowing red dress that reached down to my ankles. It was beautiful, but it was something that seemed out of the ordinary for a cemetery. I tried to remember the reason why I chose to wear it here. There must have been a reason…_

_Instead of wondering any further on the subject of my dress, I looked around and hoped to find someone. The cemetery was eerily silent, and it reminded me of a different time…though I couldn't bring the memory to my mind. Wasn't I with Damon the last time this place was eerily silent? I then turned and was shocked to see a girl standing behind me. I recognized her immediately._

_It was Leslie. She was standing in front of me and she was looking at me with sad eyes. No, something was wrong with her posture. I immediately saw that she was tied with ropes to tree behind her, and it looked like the ropes were too tight around her chest. Her lips were formed into a frown, and her hair was covered in scarlet blood. Her clothes—a t-shirt and old jeans—were drenched in the same substance. My eyes landed on her throat, which was entirely ripped open. Dried blood was covering her neck and her hands were splattered in the sticky, red blood. I realized she had been clutching at her throat, possibly at the point when it was damaged. _

_I stared at her for another minute before she loosened one of her hands from the ropes and reached a hand out to me. It looked as if she was trying to call to me for help, but no sound came from her throat. Somehow, I could not move my legs, and an inner voice told me it was too late for her anyway. Still, I held out one hand to take her bloody one, but she vanished in the next instant._

_What happened? Where had Leslie disappeared to? Leslie…These thoughts and questions crowded my mind. My eyes scanned the cemetery for her, but she was nowhere in sight. I continued to move around aimlessly, my legs suddenly free to move, before I heard a soft, dark, whispery voice float towards me. _

'_Raven'….the voice came swiftly and softly as if on the wind. I knew that voice. It was a voice that I instantly aware of and completely ready to listen to, no matter what happened. In the back of my mind, the thought of Leslie still pulled and struggled, but I only let it drown deeper into the back of my mind. Nothing else seemed to matter. I turned slowly to face Damon, who was positioned right behind me. He was smiling that same sly smile and he was so close to me that our bodies were almost touching. I watched as he carefully took in the image of me and my scarlet gown, and then he gazed back into my eyes. _

_Damon easily brushed back a piece of my black hair that was smoothly flowing past my shoulders in waves, and continued to gaze deep into my eyes. His eyes somehow seemed darker than when I had met him, if that was possible. I thought I could catch a hint of red in them. Red like blood….Leslie's blood…Leslie…I knew I had to find her. I opened my mouth to speak, but Damon put a cool finger to my lips. His voice still had that soft quality to it, though he did not move his own lips. _

'_Trust me, Raven. I won't hurt you. Trust me, and we can be together forever.' Damon lifted my chin and smiled. His smile sent my heart into overdrive; it was faster than I thought possible. I was sure Damon could hear it. He smiled another dazzling smile, which allowed me to catch a glimpse of his sharp teeth. No, not just sharp teeth. I could see where his fangs rested on his lower lip. I tried to move away, but I simply couldn't. Why did I have to move away? I was tired of running…why run any longer? It was as if I was frozen, waiting for the piercing feeling to reach my neck. _

_Damon bent his head towards my throat and I could easily feel those sharp teeth resting against the hollow of my neck. His words were swift, and they gave me chills down my back. 'I won't hurt you. My dear, Raven…don't cry or she'll hear you. Then we could never be together.' I wanted to ask who, but my voice wouldn't work at that point. Who? I needed to know. 'Trust me, Raven.' In that moment, I trusted Damon. I trusted him, though I wasn't exactly sure why. Then, a sharp piercing feeling entered my throat and I could feel his lips on my neck as the blood began to flow…and Damon was there with me. He was there…_

I awoke in my bed with my heart almost jumping out of my chest. The dream had felt so real…But that's what it was, right? It was only a dream. I frantically clawed at my throat, but when I pulled my hand away there was no blood. No blood and no sharp teeth against my delicate skin. I wondered about it for a little while, especially since I could not get back to bed. I thought about what the dream might mean. I thought about Leslie. Most of all, I thought about Damon. I could still hear his voice as clearly as if he was there in my room. I thought about his words, the events in my dream, and his existence as a vampire…

I thought for what must have been a couple hours. Surprisingly, the thought of Damon calmed me instead of making me nervous or scared. I could picture him so clearly in my head, and it still felt as if he was stuck there like a pleasant feeling that would not cease. Before I went back to sleep, I secretly admitted one thing to myself. It was something I realized with my heart instead of my mind. I was falling in love with a vampire.


	10. Myra

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or Twilight, no matter how much I actually want to. I do not own any of the characters or places in this series. The ones who do own it are the authors, Stephenie Meyer and L.J. Smith. I only own the character of Raven Black.

Note: here is the tenth chapter and I hope to keep updating soon. I hope the readers keep reading and remember to R&R! All reviews, comments, questions, and constructive criticism are appreciated greatly. (= Enjoy the next chapter! 

Chapter 10: Myra

_Raven_

Damon offered to drive me to school the following morning. I hadn't actually planned on it. My aunt couldn't drive me to school that morning—besides the fact that she was still upset about the scene last night—and the last thought I had before leaving the house was that I would have to walk in the rain. Besides that, thoughts of last night's dream still clouded my mind and the walk would give me a chance to roam over those thoughts; it was the exact thing that I did not want to do at the moment. When I left the comfort of the house, Damon was there with his car. He was leaning against the car in a casual way despite the fact that it was raining, and a slow smile covered his face when he caught sight of me. It had only been a few seconds since I left the warmth of my house, but already I was soaking wet. My disbelief kept me from noticing.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Damon's expression turned to one of surprise and perhaps a little amusement.

"Is that my proper greeting for today? No 'hello, Damon' or 'I'm so glad you're here, Damon'? I am here to give you a special ride to school. I mean, we wouldn't want the beauty to get drenched, would we?" Damon shot me a dazzling smile before stepping closer to me. I laughed softly before answering him.

"I'm already drenched, Damon. Is that all you came here for? To give me a ride to school?" Damon stepped closer to me until he was mere inches away. The rain continued to beat down on our heads. At that moment, I wondered what he was going to do, and if it was something I would have seen in my dream. He decided to surprise me. Damon moved his fingers over my cheek and into my wet, black hair. Damon smiled widely before answering my question.

"When you put it that way, I guess there is another reason why I am here in the rain waiting for you. It's actually very simple. I think I'll show you what I mean." In that moment, Damon closed the space between us and firmly pressed his lips to my own. My world seemed to explode in that one instant where our lips touched. All other thoughts slipped away until the only thing that remained on my mind was him. I could feel him pressing harder against my lips, in a way that was almost hungry. All the while, he continued to let his fingers roam through my hair. My stomach seemed to twist in the most delightful way and I moaned quietly as he started to pull away. Damon looked at me with excited eyes and then broke the silence between us.

"So…?" I lifted my face higher so I could gaze deeply into his dark eyes. Perhaps I also wanted to tease him with a glimpse of my throat, which I also saw his eyes lingering on for a moment or two. At that minute, I could not have cared if that thought reached his mind.

"Would it be too much to ask you to do it again?" Damon allowed a slow mile to appear on his face before he once again closed the space between us. He was the only person that I completely knew and understood in that instant. All the while, we were absolutely lost in each other and the rain poured harder than ever. Not one of us noticed anything but each other.

_____________________________________________________________________________

"Damon, do you know the vampire that attacked Caroline?" Damon and I were in his car, speeding along an empty street. The window was slightly cracked and the wind caused my hair to twist around my face. Damon had one of his hands on the steering wheel and the other on my leg. Thoughts of our intense scene continually moved around my mind. Now, I tried to focus on the situation with Caroline, hoping that Damon knew something. At the sound of my question, Damon turned his head to face me. He seemed to take a deep breath, and I wondered if he was reluctant to tell me. I also wondered why.

"Her name is Myra. I knew her a long time ago, actually. It appears she has returned to Fell's Church. I am sure it has something to do with me." I gazed into Damon's dark eyes as I registered this information. Another vampire was going around Fell's Church and, if I was correct, Caroline was her first victim. The first victim found anyway. I then noticed that we were going over a hundred miles an hour, Damon's eyes were still exploring my face instead of looking towards the road, and I imagined the possibility of crashing. Damon had been reading my thoughts.

"We are not going to crash, sweetheart. I happen to be a very experienced driver. I should be after living so many years." Damon laughed softly and continued to look at me in interest. I faced him directly and sighed.

"Well, I would feel a little bit better if you simply kept your eyes on the road like a normal person." Damon shook his head lightly at my words.

"Darling, since when am _I_ a normal person?" Regardless of his words, Damon turned to face the road. It was my turn to smirk at him, but I had other questions on my mind.

"Damon, do you ever….kill humans? I mean, when you…drink from them?" Damon's smile disappeared and I realized I had finally hit one of his targets. His voice had lost any sign of amusement, but it was still relatively calm.

"I used to kill when I drank from humans. I do not anymore. Kill, I mean. I wouldn't mind tasting your blood sometime. Hmm?" Damon tilted his head at me, clearly waiting for a response. I didn't give him one for that statement. Instead, I asked him another question that had just formed in my mind.

"Why don't you kill anymore? There must be a reason for it, right?" Damon looked away and I could almost sense his eyes growing darker than they already were. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter and maybe a bit gloomy.

"It is simply because I made a promise to a friend. I gave her my word that I would not kill another human. As I told you before, I never break my word." I tried to meet his eyes, but he avoided my gaze. In the next second, Damon pulled into the back of the school. Dozens of students turned to check out the car, and I carefully stepped out of the car after saying goodbye to Damon.

The first person I saw in the crowd was Elena. She had a look of confusion on her face, and when she turned to face me it became a look of accusation. I slowly walked up to her as Damon's car drove away. I didn't like the look on her face, and her voice was unfamiliarly sharp.

"What are you doing with him?" Elena's blue eyes became dark as she stared at me. I didn't know why she was so accusing towards me.

"Damon was just giving me a ride to school. That's all, Elena." She looked unconvinced and her blue eyes searched mine.

"I'd feel better if you didn't get too close to him. Stefan doesn't think it's a good idea, either. He should know; Damon's his brother. I mean, Damon is…" Elena's voice trailed off and I took up where she left off.

"I know what Damon is. Before you ask, he didn't tell me a thing. I found out by myself." Elena's jaw dropped at the mention of this. Her voice was suddenly very shaky.

"You…you know? About…vampires?" Elena said the last word in a whisper so as to avoid being overheard. I nodded to her, which made her become even more shocked.

"I know about them. Just so you know, Damon didn't attack Caroline. Another vampire did, someone named Myra. Now, can we begin heading to class? I don't want to be late again." Elena looked more shocked than ever. In another instant, a small smile was playing on her lips, one that didn't quite reach her eyes. The two of us walked towards the school. All the while, my mind was focused on Damon and what we could possibly do to stop a vampire like Myra.


	11. Let The Game Begin

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or Twilight, nor do I own any characters or places associated with this series. The authors, Stephenie Meyer and L.J. Smith, own them completely. I only own Raven Black. 

Note: I love all the reviews I am getting and it has helped to keep this story moving. So thanks to all the readers who I hope will keep reading and here's another chapter. (= Enjoy. (P.S….R&R!)

Chapter 11: Let The Game Begin

_Stefan_

The room was completely silent despite the fact that an amazing number of vampires were huddled inside it. Well, a few vampires and a human, anyway. We were packed inside the dining room of the Cullen's magnificent house. It was actually larger than any house I had seen in this area, and it was one that was secluded from the rest of Fell's Church. In fact, it lay just outside the boundaries of the town, where no one was likely to bother the Cullens.

I was standing against one wall, my hands placed gently on the hips of Elena, who was watching the others with great interest. I softly laid my head near her golden hair, where the scent of her rose towards me, filling me with a pleasurable feeling. Even the scent of Elena was incredibly beautiful, and it further created the image in my mind of her being angelic. I could feel Elena place her warm hand on my own and felt her breathe deeply. In truth, she was the only human in this house, and I was praying that everything would go smoothly. The Cullens were the ones who decided to hold a meeting about the situation with Raven. Though I did not mention it, I was more concerned about what Damon was planning to do about Raven. Once we were all gathered in the dining room, Carlisle began to speak, his voice predictably calm.

"Alright. You are all aware of the reason for this meeting. The new human, Raven Black, has somehow found out about our nature. I am sure we all agree that this is a dangerous fact." Almost everyone in the room seemed to murmur an agreement to this statement. A concerned look crossed Bella's face, Elena increased her grip on my hands, and Rosalie disgustedly threw a smirk out to whoever was watching her at the moment. Emmett was the one who took up the conversation, though I saw his eyes were filled with confusion and concern as well.

"Look, she must have found out somehow. Any ideas?" Everyone turned to look questioningly at each other, but no one seemed to have a clue as to how Raven got hold of that kind of information. Finally, I let out a breath and held up my hand to catch everyone's attention. When all eyes were on me, including Elena's deep blue ones, I began my explanation.

"I happen to believe that it was my brother, Damon who gave her that kind of knowledge in the first place. He's a vampire, just like the rest of us are. Excluding Elena, of course." I gave Elena a small smile, which she did not return. Instead, she spoke up against my claim, which instantly took me by surprise.

"Actually, I do not think Damon gave her that information in the first place. I spoke to Raven earlier today, and she told me that Damon wasn't the one who gave her that idea. She figured it out for herself. That's what she said, anyway. I kind of knew she wasn't lying, despite her being with Damon." Elena took in a deep breath after speaking, and settled back into a relaxed feeling. I was still shocked that Raven would be talking—much less being—with my brother. It was dangerous. Rosalie's sharp voice broke the new silence that followed Elena's words.

"What if the person responsible _is_ Damon? That would be just great. Why don't we all just go around spreading the news to pathetic humans?" At this point, Rosalie was much too confident in her words to notice the offended look that crossed Elena's face. Instead, she continued. "Do any of you realize how much danger this could put us in? Then again, we've already been down that road before, haven't we?" I instantly caught the dark glare that Rosalie shot towards Bella, and Bella's ochre eyes narrowed in annoyance. Edward ended up giving Rosalie an equally piercing look which caused her to drop her gaze. Everyone else seemed to be unaware of the distasteful exchange, especially Alice, who spoke up next with a very light, small voice.

"Okay, forget where she heard it. The only problem is that she knows about us. Plus, we have other issues as well. I had another vision last night; it was one that suggested another vampire was heading after Raven." More startled looks went around the dining room table at the mention of this news. Jasper began shaking his head in disbelief and Elena's blue eyes became worrisome. Esme clutched tightly at Carlisle's arm and he turned slowly to comfort her. Rosalie was the only one who seemed to get bothered in an angry way at this news. I thought it was strange that yet another vampire would be entering Fell's Church. I asked Alice what exactly this vampire looked like. Her voice answered timidly and softly.

"Well, the vampire was a girl; that much I saw. I think…she had dark red hair and amber eyes at the time. She was also very skinny, and…I didn't see enough to give you more details than that. Sorry." Though Alice's description was vague, it jogged my memory a bit, and a clear image appeared in my head. I just hoped I was wrong, but I was too curious to avoid the subject.

"Alice, did this woman have a necklace? One that was in the shape of a heart and had the letter 'M' etched into it with a shade of gold?" Alice pondered this question for a minute before nodding her head vigorously. My insides twisted at this information; I knew instantly who the vampire was. Edward tilted his head as he read my mind, his ochre eyes filled with a questioning look.

"Her name is Myra. I know she was hunting around this area a year ago when she killed a teenage girl in the old cemetery. Now, I guess she's returned, but I am unsure of the reason. She is extremely dangerous, and if she goes after Raven we'll need to do something." Rosalie tossed me an incredulous look at my last statement, her voice filled with acid.

"Why should we watch out for a human like her? We don't even know her and she is intruding in our world, in case you've already forgotten. It's not our responsibility."

"It _is_ our responsibility, Rosalie." Carlisle's stern voice caused Rosalie's words to fade away. "We will need to do something if this other vampire attacks, unless you want to leave again?" Rosalie shook her head silently, her blond hair moving lightly over her face, and dropped the subject. In that moment, we made an agreement. It was an agreement among vampires in which we all promised—even Rosalie, reluctantly—to keep our distance from Raven unless Myra disrupted our lives.

______________________________________________________________________

_Myra_

The wind was cool tonight, and it brushed lightly against my skin as I stared at the house. It was _her_ house, the house of my next victim. This one was special. I flipped back a piece of my scarlet hair before I turned my eyes to a bedroom window. The light was shining brightly through that window, and I knew she would still be awake and fighting off sleep. I breathed deeply, and a small bit of her scent filled me every sense. I could feel a fire burning in my veins, and I smiled excitedly after running my tongue over my growing fangs. I could just imagine the sweet taste of blood. Plus, I was more than a bit hungry.

All of a sudden, I felt a presence near me and I was sure it wasn't a human. I swiftly turned to meet eyes with someone I have not seen in about a century. Damon Salvatore. His eyes were darker than I remembered them, but he looked incredibly good. A mocking smile played on his lips, and his voice was as smooth as it was when he first became one of us.

"Myra, Myra, Myra. We aren't being a bad girl tonight, are we?" I smiled a dazzling smile that showed my grown fangs and hoped to twist him around my finger, if only to keep him quiet about my existence. Then again, he wouldn't make a poor choice for an ally, either. If any vampire had a deep, outstanding thirst for a human's blood, it was Damon Salvatore. I worked to make my voice come out soft and irresistible.

"Oh, Damon. Long time, no see. I thought you liked girls like me, anyway." Damon smirked at me as I came a bit closer to him. I could tell this conversation was not going to go my way, and my fangs were still aching. His voice came out stern and cold; it had lost a bit of the smooth quality I previously admired.

"No, I like girls like Katherine. Not you." I felt the smile fall from my face and rage entered my face. My fangs were really painful now, and I had to feed soon or lose control altogether. Damon was only making the situation ten times worse, especially since I realized he would act more of an enemy than an ally.

"Still hung up on my sister, are you? Funny, you didn't seem so sweet on her when you destroyed her!" Damon simply laughed at my anger and changed the subject.

"Myra. I know you well. Stay away from Raven; she's mine." I flashed Damon a slow smile as a delicious thought turned in my head.

"I am quite sure now that you aren't implying feeding off her, Damon. Don't tell me you've started caring for pathetic humans. That would be a great loss for the vampires, wouldn't it? Losing one of their star feeders. You always enjoyed the idea of feeding uncontrollably off humans. It's our nature, remember? You used to agree with me once. What, is she your new pet? You know I'm going to want to play, too." Damon's eyes grew darker at my words, and in the next instant he had me pinned against the side of the house. I could feel a dull throbbing from where my head had connected with the house. Damon's voice had become somewhat demonic, and it rushed towards me in a snarl.

"I said…_stay away._ Remember, you don't want things to get messy where I'm concerned. Leave her alone, or I'll be coming for you, Myra." Damon released his hands from me and I felt another spark ignite in my mind. I simply couldn't resist.

"Is that a promise? You never break your promises, Damon. Sounds fun. Let the game begin." I vanished in the next moment before he could grab me again, but not before I glimpsed the expression on his face. It was the look of anger and complete pain on his face that really got my thoughts turning. It was time to play with the dear, delicate human.


	12. Which One of Us Do You Prefer?

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or Twilight (and that includes characters and places!). The only ones who do own it are the authors, Stephenie Meyer and L.J. Smith. The only characters I own are Raven Black, Myra, and Aunt Carrie. (=

Note: Here is the twelfth chapter and I am so grateful for all the reviews previous to this chapter. I hope every reader here keeps reading and reviewing! All reviews, questions, comments, and constructive criticism is appreciated. Enjoy the next chapter!

Chapter 12: Which One of Us Do You Prefer?

_Elena_

"The situation with Raven and Damon is all my fault." I was sprawled underneath a huge tree near Stefan's boardinghouse. Stefan was sitting next to me with my head on his chest. He was staring off in the distance, and I could tell he was thinking. A light breeze brushed over my skin and the moon shone bright and high in the sky over us. I was beginning to think that Stefan was oblivious to my question until he answered in a quiet, concerned voice.

"It is not your fault, love. How could you possibly think that?" Stefan began moving his fingers through my golden hair as I thought about the scene in the cemetery when I had been writing in my diary. When I spoke again, my voice was shaky and unfamiliar.

"It _is_ my fault! I knew what Damon was going to do. I heard it from him with my own ears in the cemetery that day. I knew, and I didn't talk to Raven about it. I should have and now Damon might have just put her into extreme danger! It's my fault." Stefan stopped combing through my hair and turned my head gently so that I was directly gazing into his intense, green eyes. His tone was soft and seemed to envelop me completely.

"My love, it most certainly is not your fault. Damon is not a person that anyone can control; even I can't control him and I am his brother. It is simply Damon's nature. Besides, even if it was your fault, what would you do now?" I slowly reached up to kiss him before responding and I tried to put on a small smile, but I felt that it had come out weak. When I pulled away to speak, I attempted to sound a bit more confident.

"I'm going to call Raven now. I'm going to tell her about Damon, and the truth." Stefan looked into my eyes and then nodded. Instead of moving, I let him hold me a little longer and I felt more at ease under the light of the moon than I had felt in the past few weeks.

______________________________________________________________________________

_Raven_

The truth hit me like a sack of bricks and it tore the rest of my heart open without a second thought. The truth came out in the form of a phone call. It was nearly midnight, but I was wide awake doing my homework when my phone started ringing. It was Elena, and her voice sounded a bit bothered and urgent.

"Raven? I really need to talk to you right now, so please tell me you'll listen to my words, no matter how much you don't want to believe in them." I gripped the phone, and I imagined the worst. It felt as if my insides had frozen up. Then again, this was Elena, and I was willing to believe her no matter what. There was no chance that Elena could really lie to me, was there? No, I believed her completely.

"Yeah, of course we can talk. Plus, you know I'll take whatever you say seriously, Elena. What exactly do you wanna talk about, anyway?" I waited for Elena's words, but she had paused; I could still hear her breathing on the other end. Finally, she began.

"It's about Damon, Raven. It's something I should have told you before, and I'm sorry that you didn't hear this sooner. I think it's time I explained about Damon." After that point, I listened carefully as Elena launched into a story of Damon that left me in disbelief. She told me about his attraction to her, how he had tried anything he could think of to claim her, and her belief that he was not completely over that stage yet. He had tried restlessly to claim Elena no matter the consequences, and somehow I couldn't believe like that could get over Elena so suddenly. He had even tried killing his own brother.

Memories of my time with Damon flooded into my head while Elena was explaining, and I couldn't help but wonder if any of those times were even real. What if Damon wasn't over Elena yet, and he had been using me to get to her? The memory I lingered over the longest was the one in which Damon and I first kissed. Was that a complete lie as well? I didn't know anymore. My heart broke little by little as Elena finished her story, and I couldn't make the false memories stop coming. Each one hurt worse than the previous one before it. When I finally hung up on Elena, I felt the last bit of my heart break away as the memory of our kiss resurfaced and I laid my head on my pillow to cry.

_______________________________________________________________________

_Raven_

It must have been another half hour before I heard a tapping against my window. I slowly lifted my body from the bed, wiped the extra tears from my eyes, and moved towards the window. I unlatched the lock and pulled open the window's doors. Damon was crouched on my windowsill with a dazzling smile plastered onto his face, and the sight of him caused a new surge of anger to fill my chest. I did not recognize my own voice at all; it was dark and cold.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" Damon tilted his head at me as he slowly took in the sight of me, and amusement reached his eyes. His voice, in comparison to mine, was light and full of humor.

"I remember you asking me that same question once. Except last time you sounded more surprised than being in a bad mood. What's got the human down today? Mind inviting me in? We could talk." I felt my face change into a scowl and I crossed my arms.

"No. I'm not inviting you in. And is that really all I am to you, Damon? Just another human because I'm not Elena?" I watched Damon's smile fade and his eyes became confused.

"What does Elena have to do with this? Plus, you're not just another human, Raven. You should know that by now." I avoided his gaze as I stepped closer to the window. It wasn't like this was easy for me. It was the most difficult conversation I ever had.

"That's what I used to believe, Damon. Elena called me tonight, and she told me about how you did everything you could to claim her. Now, I can't help but wonder if you're just using me to reach her. You're not over her, are you? That's really low." Damon's eyes shifted from confusion to anger and his voice was suddenly the one to grow cold.

"Is that what you really think, Raven? I don't want Elena anymore, I want you. I didn't know that was supposed to be a bad thing." I smirked at him angrily. My body seemed to be full of stored anger that was now being released.

"So which one of us do you prefer, Damon? I am just curious to know." Damon's eyes held on stubbornly to the anger and he quietly leaned against my windowsill in order to void my piercing glare.

"You. I prefer you. You know, you didn't seem this badly tempered or against me when we were kissing earlier. All because of Elena you have to change your view of me?" I didn't want to answer that question; I was afraid it would only result in more anger. Instead, I continued aiming hurtful statements at him, even if he did refuse to look at me.

"Right. That's just it. Elena told me the whole story. She told me you would try something like this. God, I still can't even believe you're here right now. Was that just your whole plan? To lie to me and use me to get to Elena?" Damon's face grew darker than ever and I suddenly did not recognize his voice. It was that of a different person, a complete stranger.

"I never lied to you. Never. Why is it that you're suddenly acting so…arrogant? Have I ever done anything wrong or given you reason not to trust me?" I didn't give his question a second thought.

"You might as well leave, Damon. I'm not inviting you in. Not now, maybe not ever." Damon dropped his gaze from my face and I was surprised to see an expression of pain and disappointment covering his face. His words were like bullets aiming straight for my heart, and they completely hit their target, though I did not admit that to Damon.

"I see. You love me, but you don't trust me. I really thought you were different from other humans, Raven. I thought you would be one human to willingly take on vampires, to willingly try me. Did I get that part of you wrong, too?" I opened my mouth to snap back a retort to Damon and lifted my head to directly glare at him, but he was already gone. His last words still bounced around my head as if he was still there with me.

_'You love me, but you don't trust me.'_ I didn't know why, but this struck up a different surge of anger inside me. It was anger from me being mad at myself. Without thinking, I grabbed up an object from my desk and hurled it at my wall. The object smashed into pieces and fell to the floor in shards. It was then that I realized I had smashed the framed picture of me and my mother. The shards lay scattered on the floor and the picture that looked so happy lay crumpled inside the frame. I didn't bother to close the window. Instead, I collapsed to the floor near the smashed picture. I absently let the tears roll down my face and fall helplessly onto the shards of glass that instantly became my broken soul.


	13. What's Wrong With Raven?

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or Twilight, nor do I own any characters or places involved with these series. The only ones who do own them are the authors, Stephenie Meyer and L.J. Smith. However, I do own the characters of Raven Black and Myra. (=

Note: I am loving the reviews and so far it is helping my story move along. I am hoping that these readers will keep reading and remember to R&R. All reviews are appreciated along with any comments, questions, or ideas. By the way, this is a pretty long chapter, especially due to Damon's part! Just warning you! For now…enjoy the next chapter of the story! (=

Chapter 13: What's Wrong With Raven?

_Bella_

My thoughts revolved around Raven on Tuesday morning during chemistry class. Raven had always been the animated one, the one who tried to put on a smile no matter what horrible events were currently surrounding her world. It was a stranger who sat down wordlessly beside me that morning, someone I did not even know. I patiently twisted a strand of hair around my finger and attempted to make eye contact with her. Raven had not been this silent since she first began putting the pieces together about the world and existence of vampires. Still, there was a different aura around her, and it was not the least bit similar to that one moment where everything about us started making sense to her.

Even her appearance was the complete opposite of how she would normally look, and it deeply worried me with every passing second as I studied the details. Raven's hair was the first bit to jump out at me; it looked completely unkempt, as if she didn't even bother to guide a brush through the silky, black strands. Now, it was nowhere near silky; just messy. Her eyes were far away, and it was almost as if her mind was in another place altogether. Her normally bright eyes were red and puffy, and it looked as if she had been crying for quite a while. There were even heavy, black circles underneath her eyelids. Her mouth was twisted into a frown, and her skin was almost as pale as mine. The skin that had originally been a beautiful golden tan was now so close to my own pale, delicate pallor that she could almost pass for a Cullen. Raven did not make any movements whatsoever; she looked like a giant, lifeless doll that was left behind. It was as if all the energy in her body had simply vanished once she sat in her seat. The sight of her absolutely tugged at my heart, even if it wasn't beating.

I wanted to ask Raven what was wrong, but I imagined that it wouldn't help her much. If anything, she would do what all people do when they want to avoid mentioning a depressing thought on their mind; she would smile weakly at me and most likely insist that she was fine even though we both knew she was hurting somewhere inside. No, I wouldn't try that. Instead, I tossed Elena a quick look of worry, but she was already focused on Raven when I had turned around. It seems she also noticed Raven's abnormal behavior. Now, her deep blue eyes were filled to the brim with worry and hurt. She finally met my eyes and I mouthed a question to her.

_'What's wrong with Raven?'_ Elena put her head in her hands, and then scribbled something on a scrap of paper. She passed the note to Stefan, who immediately handed it up to me. I silently opened the note and read the few sentences that Elena had written down. Each one was filled with some hint of sadness and perhaps pain.

_'It's my fault, Bella. I think something may have happened between her and Damon after I called her last night. My phone call really upset her; I knew that before she even hung up on me. It's the reason why she's so down and heartbroken today. It was me.'_ My lips began to tremble as I finished the note. I gave Elena a sympathetic look before turning back to raven. I didn't speak to her; I simply placed a comforting hand on her arm. Raven looked up at me with curious, dark eyes. It was then that I said a few words to her. My words were very brief, but I hoped they would alert her to knowing that I understood her at that moment.

"You'll get through this somehow. I know you will, Raven." I just prayed that my words would come true. I prayed for it with every inch of my unbeating heart.

__________________________________________________________________________

_Stefan_

I never truly realized how terrible it could be to witness someone like Raven acting more than a little heartbroken. It was overly depressing, and I could not help but feel incredibly unhappy for the girl. Raven first struck me as the type of girl who was unpredictably strong even through the worst of times. I mean, she walked into an unfamiliar high school in an unfamiliar town with a charming smile on her face despite the fact that her mother had been lost to her. Now, it seemed as if the stored sadness in her body was leaking out and eating its way through her from the inside out. The sadness was clearly visible on her face, and it marked her presence during the school day.

Elena had explained to me that something had probably taken place between Raven and Damon after the phone call. If that was true, then I wondered what role my brother played in those events. I made a mental note to speak with him about the situation soon. I turned my head back towards Elena, who was now focusing on Raven with her head in one hand. Her golden hair flowed over her shoulder and almost became a curtain around her face. I slowly reached out to her and swept her long hair behind her shoulder. Elena picked her head up to give me a weak smile, and it was no secret that her smiles rarely met her eyes anymore.

Elena had been beating herself up for most of the events of the past week, though I always tried to console her on the subject. I could feel her spirit slowly becoming crushed along with Raven's own soul. Yes, the whole ordeal was extremely depressing. I felt an uncomfortable fury rise inside me as these thoughts turned in my head and I knew I had to find my brother soon. It was time for Damon and I to have another unpleasant meeting.

_______________________________________________________________________

_Damon_

The events of last night constantly rushed around my mind, and I could not find the smallest bit of peace. I was simply lounging high on a branch in the Old Wood. It was a place that put good distance between me and Raven. Somehow, that thought did not make things better. What the hell was she so angry about, anyway? It wasn't like I did anything to give her doubt. I even neglected the ache in my fangs whenever her scent overwhelmed me. It was all because of Elena, I knew that now.

I changed my position before continuing my thoughts. Sure, I once had a thing for Elena, and maybe a tiny bit—emphasis on the 'tiny'—of my everlasting hunger was still devoted to her, but it was never enough. I learned that after continuous months of struggling. My constant wanting and hunger for Elena would never be enough, so I had buried the longing deep where I hoped not to reach it again. Elena must have told her about that time when I did long for her, but now it was different. I didn't see any reason for Raven to be overly furious, if only she'd actually listen to me. Instead of putting Raven out of my mind, her piercing words filled my head and repeated again and again.

_'Which one of us do you prefer? Which one of us do you prefer?'_ I knew which one I preferred now without a doubt. I had not been lying; I strongly chose Raven. So why wasn't it enough? Her eyes had burned through me last night, especially since they were a mixture of emotions. There had been cold fury in her dark, brown eyes, but underneath that emotion was a strong hint of hurt and pain. It had killed Raven to speak to me last night in the way she did. Well, she wasn't the only one. For some reason, it felt as if a large, gaping hole had been torn through my body. I wondered if I was facing a long-lost emotion of humanity. Perhaps it was possible that I had fallen in love with Raven, with a human. Was that why the scene had hurt so unexpectantly?

I always kept my word, no matter what. After leaving Raven, I silently vowed that I would respect her wishes and would vanish for as long as she wanted it. So far, I was still considered banished. The worst part about last night was her helpless cries after I left, when she thought I was no longer listening. I had been curious and, in the form of the black crow in a tree near her window, I had watched as she collapsed to the floor and let her tears carelessly escape. That had been the worst part. It still mocked my thoughts, despite my efforts to brush it away. She was my Raven, and I had been forced to let her go. What was even more painful was the overwhelming thought that I had been absolutely in love with her without particularly realizing it until after our bitter argument. There was nothing I could do about it.

My legs grew somewhat stiff and I stretched largely before leaping gracefully to the ground far below. My feet barely made a sound as I hit the grass and I stood for a moment surrounded by the trees and quiet of the Old Wood. It was actually quite peaceful in this part of the woods and a great place to think. Now, my fangs ached miserably as I remembered that I had not fed in a while. Burning sensations traveled through my veins as I admitted that it was time to feed the deep hunger inside me. After returning to my car, I sped along the streets of Fell's Church, letting my mind explore until I found an acceptable donor. I finally brought the car to a stop before a small, yellow house at the end of a lonely street. It was good enough for me.

I silently crept to the front of the house and used some of my Power to guide the owner of the house to the front door. The college student who owned the house easily unlocked the door and stepped slowly onto the front porch. Her eyes were vacuous as she stood facing me, and I knew I had her under my full control. The girl was actually very pretty, and it was a shame she would only serve as a drink tonight. I forced her to invite me in and let her trudge over to a worn, old couch that was in a miniscule living room. The girl sat down and, almost expectantly, waited for what was coming next. This would be simple, easy, and quick.

I closed the door and, with a movement that would have been invisible to a human, stood beside the girl in the minute. She was still dazed and I allowed her to stay that way. I carefully lifted her chin until her neck was completely exposed. I could almost smell her blood moving through her veins and it gave me a stronger hunger than before. My fangs were increasing, and soon they were almost touching my bottom lip. I tilted the girl's neck and felt for the perfect place to bite. After a second, I found the place I was looking for and bent my head down to her throat.

My lips touched her throat and I could nearly feel her heart beating faster than usual, which only seemed to excite me more. I exposed my sharp teeth to her neck and, without any hesitation, pierced her skin swiftly with my fangs. The rich, sweet taste of blood filled my mouth almost instantly and I pressed harder into her neck until it was like a river of blood flowing. Her blood was actually satisfactory and I couldn't help but to drink more and more. I could slowly feel a sense of Power returning to me body as I kept going. In the back of my mind, a small voice told me to stop now or risk breaking my promise to Elena. I tried to ignore it, simply because the girl's blood tasted so amazing and it filled every part of my sense to the brim. Then, the voice got louder and a sudden memory shot up in front of my eyes. It was the memory of me and Raven in my car, when I mentioned my reason for not killing humans. Her words seemed to float over me as I held onto the girl's neck.

_'Damon, do you ever kill when you drink from humans?'_ What surprised me even more was how I literally heard the rest of the conversation being played out in my mind, and I couldn't stop it.

_'__I used to kill when I drank from humans. I do not anymore. Kill, I mean. I wouldn't mind tasting your blood sometime.'_ This rich, delicious blood suddenly made me think of Raven, and I could almost picture her in front of me instead of this pathetic girl. I could almost imagine…

_'Why don't you kill anymore?'_

_'I made a promise to a friend. I gave her my word that I would not kill another human.'_ With the last bit of that memory, I felt the girl's body begin to go limp. With a great amount of strength, I forced myself to detach myself from the girl and let her fall back onto the couch. If anything, she would believe that she got too drunk last night and landed on the couch instead. Still, I had come desperately close to breaking my word, something I never did before. Those words kept bounding around my head. I felt stronger and weaker at the same time. Stronger because I had consumed a grand amount of blood, but weaker because I had almost lost control.

I then realized that there had been another reason for giving in to my hunger tonight. While I was drinking from the girl, I had been close to feeling the rest of the world slip away. For a little while, I had been close to forgetting Raven and the pain that her memory now caused me.


	14. Myra's Move

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or Twilight, nor do I own any places or characters associated with these series. The ones who do have claim to them are the authors, Stephenie Meyer and L.J. Smith. I only own the characters of Raven Black and Myra. 

Note: Thank you everyone for all the reviews and I hope you keep reading this story. All reviews are appreciated along with any comments, questions, and ideas. Now it is time for the next chapter!! Hope every reader enjoys. (= 

Chapter 14: Myra's Move

_Raven_

_'Dear Diary,_

_I thought my mother's death was the worst thing to happen to me. I was wrong. Damon and I had a terrible conversation that only ended in my heart being torn out ruthlessly. It was the worst conversation I ever had, and it keeps spinning around in my head no matter how hard I try to block it out. I think I cried for at least an hour last night. I feel as if all my happiness and energy has given up on me. _

_Elena was the one who told me about Damon. She told me how he craved for her and tried endlessly to claim her. Surely his efforts wouldn't have died away so abruptly after such a long struggle? I feel somewhat betrayed because no one told me about this ahead of time. I believe Elena's story, simply because I know she isn't the type of person to lie to a friend. I just feel so hurt about Damon. Was Damon even planning on telling me if he supposedly didn't want Elena? Or was he hoping to use me like Elena thought? It hurts so much to think about it. I even smashed my picture of my mother over it, and that just made me feel worse. Plus, Myra might still be lurking in Fell's Church, and I am not sure whether she's planning to aim at me anytime soon for spending so many useless moments with Damon. _

_I just don't know what to do anymore. School doesn't make me feel any better. Stefan, Bonnie, Elena, Bella, and the Cullens—well, most of the Cullens if you disregard Rosalie—have resulted in giving me sympathetic looks and asking me if I'm okay. It's like my mother's death all over again. I keep saying 'I'm fine', but they know perfectly well that I don't mean it. Especially Edward, who has recently taken to reading my mind now and again. It would also help if Elena stopped beating herself up over the whole ordeal. It isn't really her fault, it's not like she could have predicted the outcome. Maybe Alice could have, but not Elena. I don't know what to do, or even how I should feel. _

_I wish I could talk to someone, but now even that does not seem to be enough to repair the damage to my spirit. I have to be honest and admit that it is my fault, but I have no way of fixing it. I was the one who was angry, who refused to listen to Damon and to what he had to say. He actually looked upset before he left me. Then again, I had wanted to make him feel bad and hurt about the subject, and I wonder now if I had succeeded in doing just that. It doesn't matter now because I have no idea how to fix it. I have not seen so much as one black crow for a while. I don't think I will ever that black crow again because I don't think Damon is coming back. Not this time.'_

___________________________________________________________________________________

_Stefan_

I left Elena dozing carelessly in the safety of the boardinghouse, and I quickly made my way through the Old Wood. I was searching for the small meadow that wasn't too deep in the woods, but deep enough so Elena would not somehow stumble in on us while I was meeting with Damon. I finally broke through the last few trees and found myself facing the small meadow, with the moon shining brightly overhead to offer some kind of light. Damon wasn't there yet, and I didn't want to be away from Elena too long…

"Don't worry, you can return to you little princess in a moment. I heard you wanted to talk to me about something…dramatic?" The cool voice suddenly came from behind me, and I hastily turned to face Damon. His expression wasn't one that I was expecting. His face was very serious—which immediately caused me to become suspicious since Damon was never really serious while talking with me—and I could easily read discomfort in his dark eyes. My voice was low and soft; I wanted to remain careful around Damon, especially since he wasn't really acting like himself yet.

"Yes, I do want to talk. What happened with Raven? She was completely…heartbroken today and lifeless, and Elena is now blaming herself…" Damon's face twisted in irritation.

"Well, she should. She's not supposed to be interfering in the business of others. Besides, it wasn't me who caused the huge scene in the first place. That was Raven herself; she got completely angry at me due to Elena's late night phone call. I had nothing to do with it." I smirked at Damon's words. He was lashing out at the mention of Elena and now he was in complete denial of his role in this situation.

"Now, why don't I believe that claim? You always have something to do with scenes like this, especially where someone gets hurt. The person who got hurt this time was Raven. I thought I told you to stay away from her! Now look what's happened, Damon!" My brother flinched slightly and avoided my gaze. This wasn't like him. Damon was usually keen on confrontation and always made sure I knew that he was stronger than me. Tonight, he was acting like a different person, someone who was apparently weaker than the brother I occasionally understood. His voice had become unfamiliar, cold, and shaky.

"I don't have anything to do with it this time, I promise. Plus, I know Raven got hurt; I was there! And you know what? Perhaps I can't stay away from her at all. Apparently you don't understand that it isn't always that easy!" Damon was almost yelling at this point and I was still in disbelief. My voice came out instantly sharp and cold, just not as cold as Damon's voice had sounded a minute ago.

"Why not, Damon? Why can't you just stay away from her?"

"Because I love her!" Damon's face was covered in pain at these words, and all I could do was stare at him in shock. It was amazing and unbelievable of Damon. I never imagined those words would ever come from his mouth, but there they were and clear as sunlight. The next time he spoke, his tone was still unnaturally shaky even though it was a bit calmer. "You get it now, brother? That's why I couldn't stay away. I…fell in love with her. You can mock me all you want, but it's the truth. She's not the only one who got hurt that night." I was still in shock for another minute as I tried to wrap my thoughts around this realization. Damon was in _love_ with a _human_? It had never happened, save for his previous desire to claim Elena. That was something more close to lust, though. This….this was a different matter altogether. He had been hurt as well.

"Damon, I'm sorry. I didn't know. So, you got hurt that night, too. I thought…" My words trailed away, but Damon finished my sentence.

"You thought I was using her for the purposes of Elena? Well, so did Raven. Besides, you didn't know because you generally think poor of me each day I exist. I mean, who could ever imagine that a vampire like me would fall for a human, right? It's true that I got hurt last night. I mean, imagine if you were suddenly broken into pieces by Elena, and that you saw her crying with no possible ways of making the situation better." I did imagine it, and it hurt very badly. I would never be able to witness that scene without my own soul tearing apart.

"I see what you mean, Damon. I'm just….surprised. Well, is there any way you could try to fix this problem with Raven?" Damon continued to avoid my gaze, but he looked like he was considering my question with some interest. His tone had returned to a calm, confident sound and I felt more at ease now that I was facing someone who seemed more like the Damon I knew.

"I'm afraid I can't do that right now. I made a vow to her that I would leave her alone for as long as she wishes. You of all people know I don't break my promises, no matter the consequences." I tilted my head slightly to stare at Damon. He really was devoted to Raven, wasn't he? I hoped to change his mind.

"Well, what if you made me a promise to at least check on her? Make sure she's okay. I want you to try to do that, Damon." He pondered over my words for what seemed like a handful of minutes, and then he simply nodded. His face had finally changed into the amused one that I was so familiar with.

"You have a deal. I'll go check on her. I'll make sure she's alright. Now, you go back to Elena before she wakes and sees you've gone missing again." With that, Damon disappeared into the darkness of the night in hopes of constantly keeping his word.

______________________________________________________________________________

_Myra_

I simply could not believe it. Damon had finally abandoned the little human, and after an amusing little argument, too. I had seen the whole show while I was standing outside the girl's house; it was a wonder Damon didn't catch me. He left her all alone. It was absolutely perfect! Just when I'm about ready to make my move, Damon makes it for me! This was an event that was too pleasurable to resist. The human is hopelessly abandoned by her vampire boyfriend, she's immensely heartbroken—and therefore vulnerable—and I'm totally ready to play my little game. It is amazing how well things have fit together in my plan. The human would be lured to her inevitable death, and I'll have the chance to watch Damon suffer. It's a shame my sister could not be here to see this; she would have deeply enjoyed it. Ready to play, human girl? It's my turn to move.

__________________________________________________________________________

_Raven_

It still amazes me how one phone call could drastically alter my life and put those I care about in jeopardy. It only took one phone call that night to shake up my entire world, much more so than any other previous moment. My aunt was already in bed, and it was going on nine when the phone started ringing. I thought it was Elena giving me another late night call, though I hoped this one would be much less heartbreaking. It wasn't Elena. Instead, it was a caller whose voice I did not recognize.

"Hello? Who is this?" I paused and waited for a reply. I was about to hang up when a muffled voice came from the phone. I lifted the phone back to my ear and listened to a very cool, direct female voice.

"Hello, Raven. I hope you don't have any plans tonight. I was so looking forward to meeting you. I'm sure Damon told you some good stuff about me, huh?" I felt confusion pass over my face. This caller knew Damon, but who was it exactly? I tried to remember if Damon ever mentioned one girl in particular. Then, it hit me hard and clear. I knew instantly who it was on the other end.

"Myra. This is Myra, isn't it? How the hell did you get this number? What do you want with me, anyway?" Soft laughter came from the other end. She sounded more amused than hateful or dangerous. I tried to figure out if this was a good or bad thing.

"So Damon did mention me. I thought he would, what with him having such strong affection for my sister. I'm sure he failed to mention that, right? Look, before you get all bothered, I just want to meet you. I want to talk, that's all." I caught the sentence about Damon having affection for a sister of Myra's, and I knew Elena only had a younger sister. If it wasn't someone who was connected to Elena, then who could Myra be talking about? Or was she lying altogether about that? I didn't know what it was, but something in her voice sounded false. I figured there was a lie in here somewhere, and I wasn't about to jump willingly over any cliff for someone like Myra.

"What if I don't want to talk? What if I don't want anything to do with a vampire like you?" I made sure to slowly draw out the word 'vampire' so as to inform her that she couldn't surprise me yet. Her following words, however, were like ice water being poured down my spine.

"So, you know about us vampires, huh? Then, you must be aware that we sometimes have deadly skills that we can use to easily torture others. If you don't meet me tonight, I terribly fear for Damon and Elena. It would be a shame to have to kill them slowly because you were too stubborn or afraid to face your fears. Or I could just kill Elena slowly and keep Damon captive until sunlight. I'm sure you know what happens if I…accidentally…slipped off his lapis lazuli ring before sunlight came up. That could be one horrible mess." My heart felt as if it had stopped beating. Damon and Elena…was it true that they were in extreme danger? I wasn't sure if Myra was lying or not. Sure, maybe she would save Damon for last because Elena—being a human like me—would be the weaker one. I didn't know if it was a trap or not. Then again, if Myra was actually telling the truth, I was certain she would place Damon and Elena in danger. I couldn't risk it; Damon and Elena were two of the most important people in my life now. Even if I did have a brutal argument with Damon, I still cared greatly for his own life, even more so than my own. My heart lurched at the thought of Damon slipping away due to my stubbornness. I drew in a shaky breath and made my decision.

"Okay, Myra. I will come meet you. Just tell me where. And please leave Damon and Elena out of this for now; this should be strictly between you and me." I heard Myra laugh excitedly before answering again.

"The old cemetery. Meet me there tonight. By the huge tree where you first met Damon." My heart raced painfully at the sound of Myra's instructions. How did she know about my first meeting with Damon? Had she already gotten it out of him? I felt even more pain and anger fill my chest.

"Fine. Give me fifteen minutes. I'm going to meet you in the cemetery, Myra. I'm ready for whatever game you're about to play." I hung up the phone without bothering to hear her response. After that conversation, I quickly dressed and slipped into my aunt's room to furtively kiss her goodbye. I knew there was a strong chance I might not return here again. It made my heart squeeze even more painfully than before, but I had to accept it. I hurriedly wrote a note in my diary for my aunt or anyone else who came by looking for me. I finally gathered the strength to leave the safety and serenity of my house—I had at last come to think of it as my home though I might not see it again—and I mentally prepared myself for a night that would eventually become one of the most reckless, life threatening nights of my entire life.


	15. A Late Night Meeting

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or Twilight, and I most certainly do not own any places or characters associated with this series. These series belong to the authors, Stephenie Meyer and L.J. Smith. I only own the characters of Raven Black and Myra. 

Note: Thank you for the reviews and I hope everyone who is reading this story now keeps reading it. I also hope the readers always remember to R&R! All reviews, comments, ideas, and questions are greatly appreciated. This is the fifteenth chapter of the story and things are getting really dramatic, so I hope the readers enjoy it! (= 

Chapter 15: A Late Night Meeting

_Alice_

The swiftness and mystery in which my visions appear to me have simply amazed me ever since my transformation into a vampire. There is an immediate sense of urgency that fills every part of my body and my mind is taken over by an avalanche of images and words. Everything else in the world is instantly shut down and blocked off; the only thing my mind is aware of is the sudden picture being presented to me at that particular moment. It has happened time and again since my permanent change into a vampire. It has happened again tonight.

I was simply flouncing around the kitchen and helping Esme to prepare some food for Elena, who was sitting quietly at the large kitchen table and watching me with interest. The scent of delicious pasta reached my nose, and I thought I caught a hint of garlic there as well. Esme carefully removed the pasta from the stove and Elena began playing with her cell phone. In the next instant, three things happened almost simultaneously.

A swift image instantly appeared in my head, causing me to gasp out loud and drop the stack of glass plates I was holding; each one hit the floor and shattered into a million shards. Esme heard the commotion and jumped, therefore letting the pan of pasta join the shards on the floor; spaghetti flew in every direction and sauce splattered the tiles and cabinets. Elena jumped out of her seat while trying to keep a hold on her cell phone. Edward, Bella, and Stefan bounded hastily into the kitchen after listening to the noises that thundered from the room. All of them looked around at one another until five pairs of eyes landed on me. I didn't see any of this since everything else was drowned out from the minute the vision entered my mind, and I was paying close attention to the blurry images in my head.

I could have sworn that I saw a number of headstones in my vision, so I imagined that whatever was going to happen was going to take place in a cemetery. The next images became even more blurred and I only briefly caught a glimpse of Raven's face. There was also something about a phone call…then the vision became clearer to me and my sight slowly moved back on the kitchen, as if I was waking from a long sleep. Everyone's faces slowly regenerated before me, each with questions and concern in their eyes. My breath came in short gasps and my voice shook uncontrollably as I registered what I saw in the vision.

"There was…another vision. I saw Raven and I think she was with Myra. I think they were in a cemetery…and Raven had answered the phone….I think she agreed to meet Myra in the cemetery, though I don't know why she would agree." The eyes around me shifted from concern to shock at the details of my vision. I was also surprised beyond belief; I was completely against the idea of Raven meeting a vampire like Myra alone in a cemetery.

Without speaking, Elena dug out her cell phone again and began to dial. I was sure it was too late to reach Raven, but Elena was determined to try anyway. Stefan sensed her distress and quietly approached her to wrap his arms around her waist. Esme dropped her head in grief and put her hand to her forehead. Edward and Bella exchanged worried looks before gazing back at me. Each one of us was thinking the same thing at that moment, and every one of us was somewhat afraid of this thought. Any normal person would have looked at our small group and would have seen a number of people that were worried for an unknown, unspoken reason. Anyone in our chaotic, secret world would have instead looked at us and realize that we were five vampires and a human who were desperately worried for a perfectly good, unspoken reason. We were simply praying that it wasn't too late for the future to change.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_Damon_

I furtively made my way to the side of Raven's house, and I was praying for the first time in a long time. I'm not even sure anyone would be listening to my prayers this late in the game, but I had to try. Still, something prickled on the edge of my senses, and I knew there was something wrong. I hoped that my instinct was terribly incorrect—though, a vampire's instinct was almost always right—and I continued moving along the shadows until I was almost directly under Raven's window. I could picture her being there, peacefully asleep in her room where no otherworldly creature could touch her, including me. The again, my mind couldn't reach out to hers and I knew that even if she was there, it would most likely end in another painful argument in which she would again refuse my presence. Or would she? The memory of our argument rose to the surface of my mind, and I angrily forced it back into the shadowy corners of my head. I would not think of that now, not when I was keeping a promise to my brother. God, I never thought I would say those words in this lifetime.

Raven's window was dark, and her light curtains swayed with the wind. Why was her window open at this time of night? Even in a small town like Fell's Church where danger—not counting vampires—was rare, it was extremely dangerous at times to have a large window open. Especially if there were vampires coming after you. I stared at the window for another moment, and then jumped towards it with an energy that was completely unexplainable to humans. With one lunge, I was able to land softly on the windowsill of Raven's bedroom. That was when I remembered again that I only had access to her windowsill, not the inside of her house. I ground my teeth in irritation and impatience before coming up with an excellent idea to gain easy access. It was simple for a vampire like me, but it would still take a high amount of my Power. I debated quickly whether I wanted to use my Power before going after Myra, and I knew I had no choice.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on any living humans that would still be lounging around the house. I let my mind wander openly and my Power to build. Let's see…there was the bathroom, the closet, and the living room. No humans came to my attention, and I was beginning to get weary. Then….her aunt's bedroom. I could picture Raven's aunt sprawled exhausted on her bed and her mind falling inside a deep sleep. Perfect. It was much easier to gain control over a human if they were fast asleep. I allowed my mind to lock onto Raven's aunt's presence and began to apply a little Power. Now, it was time to control her, which meant guiding her through easy, soft words.

_'Time to get up. I want you to walk into Raven's bedroom and simply invite your visitor inside. Then, you can return to a deep sleep and forget that this ever happened. Now, do as you are told.'_ I pulled away from her mind and slipped carefully back into my own head. I felt weaker already, which was likely to put me at a disadvantage should I run into Myra anytime soon. I patiently waited for the shadows to creep along the walls and the footsteps to hit my ears, but nothing came. What the hell? I felt weaker from the use of my Power, but nothing was happening. What was happening to me if I couldn't even control a pathetic human with my Power, especially one that was asleep? I still didn't understand how Raven could refuse, but her aunt should have been as easy to control as simply snapping a toothpick. I was about to reach out again—even if it did cost me more Power than I could afford—when the zombie figure of Raven's aunt trudged into raven's room.

I immediately felt relief that her eyes remained distant and empty as she came closer to the window. When the moonlight hit her, I began to notice other details. Her hair was horribly tangled and her eyes were marked by large, black circles under her lids. She didn't look a thing like Raven, but she didn't look that old either. Raven's aunt slowly approached the window and gestured for me to come in.

It was almost as if a strong brick wall had suddenly been destroyed. I was able to easily climb into Raven's bedroom and I waited until her aunt returned to bed before I began looking around. Raven had a good sized bedroom with a comfortable looking bed and a large window seat under her window. The words I had carved into the wood of the frame were still there, and I absently traced over them with one finger. The words that must have once seemed like a threat to Raven now sounded like a dire promise. I turned away from the window and continued examining her room. It had everything that made a room look lived in, except it was missing one thing. Raven wasn't there.

Where the hell could she go when it was close to half past nine at night? That was when my eyes stopped on her diary; it was open to a particular page and there were only a few sentences written on the page. I cautiously picked up the diary and, after realizing that Raven had left a note, I settled on her comfortable bed to read.

_'If you are reading this, then you probably already realized I'm gone. In truth, I am not sure if I will return. If I do, then I am lucky. If I don't…I hope that those who are reading this and care for me promise to move on. I am somewhat sorry for my actions, but in the end I don't think I had a choice. It is simply because I am putting my life on hold in order to protect those I love. I am deeply sorry if you are reading this in my absence. I am sorry. _

_Raven.'_

I stopped reading and I took this information in. Where exactly was Raven going? I knew it must have something to do with Myra. I only knew one thing for certain, and it was a fact that was now causing my blood to boil through my veins. I was going to kill Myra if she ever hurt Raven tonight.

_________________________________________________________________________

_Raven_

The cemetery gates were locked tight with a chained padlock. I cursed silently when I caught sight of the padlock. I turned my head up to observe the top of the wrought-iron gate; the gate was extremely high and there were iron spikes on top of the gate. I backed up a few steps in order to take a running leap at the gate. I ran at the fence with full speed and began pushing my body up and over. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be, besides the fact that the hem of my shirt got ripped while climbing down the other side of the gate. My side instantly felt sore, and I knew I must have scratched my skin on the fence, which made me curse even more.

I started to make my way through the old cemetery, even though it proved to be very difficult due to the darkness. I stumbled into numerous headstones, and I was almost surprised that I didn't fall into an open grave. I found I was taking my time getting to the huge tree; I didn't know what to expect from a vampire like Myra and I wasn't sure I was ready for this meeting. Well, it was too late to turn back now. Plus, if Damon and Elena were being held captive, it would be foolish of me to bail out now. I had to keep going.

It wasn't too long before I was crossing the unsteady bridge that linked the two sections of the cemetery. I could now see the huge tree ahead of me, and my stomach twisted as I tried to prepare for whatever Myra was planning. I began to look around for her once I reached the tree. I didn't see Myra, and I didn't see any sign of Elena or Damon. That was when my cell phone began ringing, and I immediately recognized the number as belonging to Alice. I answered and Alice's musical, light voice began to wash over me.

"Raven? I know it's late, but this is urgent. I just had a vision that you were meeting Myra in a cemetery—"

"Alice, I'm already inside the old cemetery. I am meeting Myra right now…" Alice's voice interrupted my words in a way that was filled with alarm.

"Raven, you need to get out of that cemetery now! My vision wasn't good; something's going to happen. Myra is extremely dangerous! You need to get out of there!" I closed my eyes as Alice's words filled my mind. At any other moment, I would have listened to her. Now, I refused to because it was more than my life at stake against Myra. I was careful with my choice of words.

"Alice, I know you mean well in warning me. But I didn't come to face Myra just for me. Myra told me she has Elena and Damon, and that she was going to hurt them—"

"Raven, what are you talking about? Elena is here with me." These words made my blood freeze instantly. I was trying to make sense of Alice's words. My voice came out in just a little more than a whisper.

"What? Alice?" Her voice came out very slow, and her next words made my head spin faster.

"Raven, Elena is standing right next to me. As for Damon, Stefan said he was going to check on you. I think it's a trap, Raven. You need to get out of there now! Wait, here's Elena…" I didn't hear Elena's voice because at that instant, I dropped my cell phone in shock. It was a trap. Elena and Damon weren't even being held captive. I was alone….It was then that I sensed someone approaching, and I turned to stare into the dark red eyes of Myra. I knew it was her the minute I looked at her; if anything, I could feel it. A large, knowing smile was plastered on her face. I could only think of one reason that Myra would lead me into a trap now. It wasn't Elena or Damon that Myra was willing to target. It was only me that she wanted to hurt, perhaps even kill. And now I was trapped with nowhere to run and no one to help me.


	16. Raven vs Myra

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or Twilight, nor do I own any characters or places associated in this series. The authors, Stephenie Meyer and L.J. Smith, own these series completely. I only own the characters of Raven Black and Myra. 

Note: I love all the reviews and now here is the sixteenth chapter of my story! I hope the readers enjoy it and remember to R&R and tell me what they think. All reviews, comments, questions, and ideas are greatly loved. Enjoy the next chapter!! (=

Chapter 16: Raven vs. Myra

_Raven _

Myra's scarlet eyes filled with sheer amusement at my sudden shock. This was a trap, and I was probably going to die tonight. Myra stepped away from me and allowed me to get a better look of her. Like all vampires, she was beautiful in an earthly kind of way. She had long, deep red hair that matched her eyes. She was extremely skinny, almost like a model. She was wearing a red leather outfit that further blended with her eyes, and it actually made her look dangerous. Her tone did not match her image; right now it was light and calm.

"Raven, I am so glad you showed up. See, I figured you wouldn't be the safe, boring type. Why ever do you look so nervous?" I took a small step away from Myra. I suddenly didn't want to be here at this moment. I knew I couldn't outrun a vampire, but if I only made it to the bridge….I remembered that vampires were not so good at crossing rivers or any type of running water. For now, I had to keep Myra distracted so she wouldn't notice my careful way of backing up.

"Damon and Elena aren't even here, are they, Myra? You never placed them in danger, at least not yet." Myra's grin widened and her eyes sparkled with excitement.

"See, you fell so quickly into my trap, and now you're here. It all works out well, at least in my opinion it does." Myra released a small laugh and I was able to catch a glimpse of her razor-sharp fangs. I instantly avoided her gaze and had an uneasy feeling about this scene.

"Well, what do you want with me?" I slowly took another step back, but Myra apparently didn't notice. Instead, she tossed back her scarlet hair and chose to move around me. I turned along with her so as to continue looking directly at her. I wasn't about to let her move behind me where there was a chance she could strike. I felt a bit more confident in my plan after we had stopped moving; my back was now facing the direction of the bridge and I was sure I could turn to run. Myra, I realized, was enjoying this meeting and took a moment to speak carefully. I was sure she wanted to savor this one moment.

"Raven, this is simply the whole point of the game. I need you. You are actually one of my strongest pieces right now." Myra seemed to move closer, and I hoped this wasn't going to be a replay of my first meeting with Damon. I knew she would be much more difficult to escape from if she further trapped me. I had to keep her talking.

"Why do you need me, Myra?" I wasn't exactly sure I wanted to know the answer. I just had to keep her distracted for a little while longer as I swiftly stepped backwards. Now, I was closer to the tree, and the bridge wasn't that far…

"It is actually very easy to understand, Raven. I need you because I need Damon to suffer. In fact, I think you are the only thing that can truly make him suffer. You see, he is the one responsible for killing Katherine, or at least one of the three responsible." Myra nodded in expectation as she waited for my response. Now, I was even more confused by what Myra was talking about. Who was Katherine anyway?

"Ummm…Katherine?" Myra's eyes widened in interest at my confusion. Her tone was immediately filled with mockery and she became just too eager to fill me in.

"Damon really didn't tell you, did he? Katherine. She was the one that Damon and Stefan fought and killed each other over before they became vampires. The one whom they both wanted and the reason they both hated each other for centuries. The one they ended up burning like a witch in Salem! She was my sister and now she's nothing more than a pile of ashes. Thanks to your vampire boyfriend, that is." I flinched at Myra's sudden change in attitude and her harsh claim, but she failed to notice. She moved toward me and continued telling me about her dead sister.

"I was there the night Katherine died. I was in Fell's Church at the time, and I was looking for her. I found her ashes in an old tomb after I saw Damon and Stefan come out carrying Elena's body. Apparently, Katherine killed one more person before she died. I was instantly angry that those two would be the ones to kill Katherine. I was so furious that I killed a human that night. But that was a year ago. I even remember the human's name. Leslie Black." Myra's last words faded away, but they bounced around my head. Leslie Black. My cousin, who died in the night one year ago.

My body seemed to freeze in my process of backing away. This was the vampire who had killed my cousin, all because a few vampires killed her sister. A life for a life. I instantly recalled my dream, where I had seen Leslie bleeding and chained to a tree. Was this what my dream had been trying to tell me? That a vampire, Myra, had been the one to kill her deep in the cemetery one year ago? I absently looked towards the tree, and I could almost picture my cousin helplessly screaming and crying out for help. I finally knew why Myra had picked this spot for our meeting. It would eventually come to be a spot of death for both of us. It felt as if my head was spinning, and it was so hard to breathe. I don't even know how I managed to speak.

"So, this is your plan for revenge? To use me to make Damon and Stefan suffer for the loss of Katherine?" Myra began moving again; she was beginning to make me nervous.

"Precisely. I knew you would catch on sooner or later. Besides, Damon _will_ suffer, especially since a human being stronger than a vampire has never been heard of before. Now, you have two choices, Raven. You can make this easy, and we can just get this over with. Or you can make this extremely tricky, in which it will end badly and painfully. Make your choice." I didn't like any of those choices, but the latter one seemed closer to my intentions. Myra's eyes gleamed and it was almost as if they burned right through me. If I messed up, then I would most likely end very badly.

"No, Myra. You forgot my third option." Myra's scarlet eyes grew curious and suspicious at the same time. I had to be fast when I finally made my move; running as far as the bridge would be difficult enough.

"Oh? And what exactly is the third option?" Now, it was my chance to act as fast as I could manage. Actually, it was my only chance. No turning back.

"You forgot about the bridge." That was when I turned and sprinted past the tree, trying to push my legs hard. I knew I didn't have much of a chance against a vampire, but if I could reach the bridge….I heard Myra let out a low growl, and I knew I had crossed the wrong line with her. A headstone inches away from me suddenly burst up and exploded into tiny fragments of gravel. She was aiming at me with her Power, and it was only a matter of time before she landed her blows on me. I hadn't figured this part into my plan, and I just prayed that she kept hitting headstones, no matter how disrespectful it was. If she hit me with her Power, then what? Tiny bits of stone scattered across the ground in front of me, and I knew she would be aiming again soon. Just a bit farther…I could almost see the bridge.

I instantly had a sense that she was aiming at me again, and I leaped out of the way as another headstone exploded right where my head had been. The bridge was almost right in front of me now, and I was currently scrunched up behind a large headstone. I needed to stop cowering and keep running, but fear was slowly taking hold of my muscles.

I fought off the fear and picked my body up hastily, running for the bridge again. Now, there were very few headstones around me and I had to reach that bridge. My hair shifted with an unfamiliar wind and I knew she was close behind me. Finally, I pushed my body harder and my feet touched the bridge. My leg caught on something, causing me to yell out in sharp pain as my leg twisted, and I launched forward onto the hard wood of the bridge.

Everything suddenly went quiet and I didn't feel Myra's presence around me anymore. I did however feel the throbbing pain in my leg and I had to close my eyes to try to block out the pain that was shooting up my side. I lifted my head to look around, but I was now the only person in this area of the cemetery. I slowly got to my feet, cursed loudly due to the pain, and walked---well, it was closer to hobbling—to the bottom of the bridge. I peered under the bridge, and there was a reasonable amount of space. I crawled under the bridge where I hoped Myra couldn't touch me. No, my house was where she really couldn't lay her hands or Power on me, and I had left the true safety of my home behind when I had gotten that phone call. It had been her intention, and I hated myself for listening to that call.

I suddenly wanted to hear Elena's voice, or maybe one of the Cullens, but I remembered I had dropped my cell phone near the tree. I buried my head in my hands and brought my knees to my chest. Now, I was completely alone and deeply afraid, more afraid than I had ever been before. I especially hated that I was alone; if anything, I wanted my mother there to hold me and comfort me. I shut my eyes tight and rocked silently as I prayed with every inch of my soul. I prayed to the one person I knew would be able to help me.

_'Please, Damon. I need help, now. I wish you could hear me. I'm so afraid and I'm in the cemetery alone against Myra. I need your help, Damon; I can't do this on my own. I'm so sorry now, Damon. Please, please, please….I love you so much, Damon, and I need help this time. Please, hear me, Damon. Please, please, please, please....'_

_________________________________________________________________________

_Damon_

It was becoming useless. I had checked around Raven's house, and I had been driving slowly around the neighborhood, searching for any suspicious activity that would suggest Myra's presence. Finally, I was making my way towards the cemetery, and it was the last place I hoped Raven was now. I had stopped the car, and brushed back a piece of my dark hair from my eyes. It was quiet at this time of night, which further limited my results of searching for Raven or Myra. I closed my eyes and then stepped out of the car to stand before the cemetery gates. I broke open the padlock and chains with a bit of Power. If Raven was in here, she must have jumped the gate. I was about to open the iron gates when I felt another presence around me.

I immediately went on the alert for anybody that would be coming near. It didn't feel like another vampire; it actually felt like a human. Probably a passersby, but late at night like this? I laughed softly at the thought that humans almost behaved like vampires on certain occasions. I stopped laughing abruptly when a whispery voice filled my mind, a voice I recognized as belonging to Raven.

_'Please, Damon. I need your help. I'm so afraid. I'm in the cemetery alone against Myra. I can't do this on my own. I'm so sorry, Damon. I love you so much, Damon. Please, hear me. Please, please, please….'_ My body instantly tensed up at these words. I paused to register what had just happened. Raven had the ability to Call people? How was that possible unless she was a….At that minute, everything clicked in my mind. It all made sense to me now. I understood then why Raven had the ability to refuse my Power, why she was never manipulated, and why she now had the power to Call me. It was simple, and I felt low for not thinking of it before.

Raven possessed some type of power of her own, which was what made it difficult for me to manipulate her with my own Power. It was just like that other red-headed witch. What was her name again? Beth, Barbie, Brittany? No. Bonnie, that was her name. Raven was similar to Bonnie in the way she could Call people when she was in dire need of help. At least I was already here at the cemetery; I knew I had little time to waste. It was time to confront Myra and I hoped that I wasn't already too late to help Raven.

____________________________________________________________________________

_Raven_

The quiet was driving me mad. I jumped at any small sound in the cemetery, as if Myra would appear at any given moment and snatch me away. I continued to rock back and forth, hoping to shut out the rest of the world. I had given up praying a few minutes ago when apparently nobody bothered to answer my prayers. Sure, I never went to Church, but that didn't mean I was unworthy of being heard, did it? I lifted my head again slightly, but the only thing I saw were shadows dancing on the wood of the bridge. Tears silently rolled down my face, and I tried to ignore the twisting in my stomach. I began breathing more heavily when my tears came faster.

A sound near the bridge suddenly made my body go tense, and I attempted to stop crying. Footsteps came closer to the bridge, and I could see a shadow of a figure cautiously approaching the wood of the bridge. The footsteps stopped before the bridge, and I covered my mouth with my hand to stop myself from whimpering. My body was trembling as I waited to see if the figure would look under the bridge. I closed my eyes and began praying again. If I was afraid before, I was terrified now. The shadow immediately disappeared and I became instantly confused. Where did the figure go? Was Myra even still out there waiting for me?

Hands swiftly grabbed my arms, and I began to scream with as much energy as I could muster at that point. A hand covered my mouth to keep me from screaming and I tried to lash out at my attacker. The figure came closer to me under the bridge and a soft voice reached me. It was a voice I new, but not one I was afraid of.

"Shhh, Raven. It's just me. I'm not going to hurt you, Raven. I'm not going to hurt you." I stopped fighting so hard and my eyes focused on Damon's dark ones. My eyes adjusted to his figure and I was able to make out the rest of him, which was now carefully sitting beside me under the bridge. I felt both relief and love fill my heart; I didn't exactly know which one was stronger at the moment. I wrapped my arms quickly around me and more tears washed over my cheeks. These ones were different, though. These ones were happy. I pulled back from Damon and didn't know how to begin speaking to him. It had been days since I had last seen him, when I was yelling at him angrily, and now he was here with me in my distress. A million questions intruded my mind all at once.

"What…where….how did you find me?" Damon stared at me for another minute, and I figured he was taking me in slowly. I admit I didn't really look my best.

"You Called out to me, remember? So you must definitely be like Bonnie. And your leg has definitely seen better days, my dear." I looked at Damon in confusion. I did pray to him, but he had heard me? Why was he saying I was like Bonnie?

"What do you mean, I Called out to you?" Damon's eyes shifted to mirror my own, total confusion at the look of my blank expression. Then, his face returned to a calm look.

"Oh, I get it. You still don't know about that part. Your power, I mean. I'll have Bonnie explain it to you later; we don't have much time now. First things first, and I hope you won't take this the wrong way. I…I need Power to fight off Myra. If I don't have that much Power, then I won't be much good to you. So….I need to get Power from feeding off a human's blood." I took in his words, but I didn't really understand what he was implying. Then, I immediately understood.

"Oh, so you need to…want to…drink my blood to get Power?" I gave him a skeptical look, which he ignored. His words were careful as he tried to get me to his plan of action.

"Well, it is the only way I can get a reasonable amount of Power fast. It doesn't hurt that much, almost like a snake bite. Raven…just trust me, Raven. I won't hurt you." I tossed these words around my head. I wondered if Myra was still around, but she must be somewhere near if Damon was on the alert. If Damon didn't drink from me and he didn't have that kind of Power, then Myra would…I didn't even want to think about that. Tears continued to fall down my face as I contemplated this plan. I began whimpering softly. Damon pressed a finger to my lips and he again spoke softly, his words shaking me up and taking me by surprise.

"My dear, Raven. Don't cry or she'll hear you. Then we could never be together, could we?" I gasped at the sound of these words. Those were the exact words that I heard from Damon in my dream. The sudden memory of my dream came crashing back into my head. Was this what I was seeing in my dream, this one night? It was almost as if I had a premonition of this one night. I then knew what I had to do. I made up my mind after listening to Damon's words. "Trust me, Raven." I looked back at Damon and nodded my head quietly.

I tilted my head back and exposed the softness of my neck. Damon immediately leaned forward and placed his cool fingers against my throat. I could feel my heart racing and my blood quickening in my veins. Damon leaned closer to my neck until his teeth were touching my skin. I closed my eyes and waited for hi fangs to sink in to my throat. Then, I felt a sharp piercing against my skin and I could feel my blood flowing out. Damon's lips pressed against my neck and I could actually feel him taking my blood, drinking it in slowly. It was almost full of bliss until he finally pulled away. I felt a little bit weaker, but I knew Damon would feel stronger. He took my hand and guided me out towards the cemetery again. I gave him a questioning look as he wiped most of my tears away. He only gave me a few words, but I felt that they were true.

"Now, it's a battle between vampires. You can help me, Raven. Tonight's the night we'll be taking down Myra. You can help me because you, my dear, are one hell of a witch." With those words, Damon and I began making our way back to the tree, where we first met, where my cousin had hopelessly been taken away, and where our fate now lay in the hands of another vampire.


	17. A Battle Between Vampires

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or Twilight, nor do I own any characters or places associated with these series. Stephenie Meyer and L.J. Smith are the authors of these series and they own them completely. The only characters I own are Raven Black and Myra. 

Note: Here is another chapter and I am still thanking the readers who have reviewed my story. Thank you fro the reviews and I hope you keep reading until the end of my story. I also hope you keep reviewing because I love to hear all your reviews, thoughts on my story, comments, questions, and ideas. Enjoy the next chapter!! (=

Chapter 17: A Battle Between Vampires

_Damon_

I allowed Raven to lean on me as I led her back to the tree where Myra was surely waiting. I glanced over at her a few times. I had never seen her so distressed, not even when we were arguing. I hated the look of her crying; it hit a target in me that I didn't know was there. I wondered if Myra had been the reason for Raven's bad leg, but we didn't have much time to bring up those kinds of subjects. It was nice, however, to have tasted her blood. Hers was rich and fulfilling beyond measure, even more so than Elena's own blood had been. It was even nicer to have her leaning on me as if she needed my support. I hoped that there was a way we could fix things afterwards. If we actually got out of here in one piece, that is.

Once we got back to the tree, I settled Raven against the tree trunk so that she wouldn't have to put so much pressure on her leg. I went on the alert for any presence in the area, but I couldn't find any at the moment. That was good so far; it meant that Myra wasn't anywhere close right now. I kneeled down to Raven, who was holding her head in her hands. The minute we got out of here, I was going to make sure she was safe at home. After all, I still had to keep the promise to my brother about making sure Raven was alright. I took hold of one of her hands and squeezed it lightly, letting her know I was here for her. The poor girl; it was depressing to see her go through all this in one night. It was also a thought I never would have had for any other human. That was when I picked up a nearby presence, and this time it was a vampire. I straightened up quickly and allowed my eyes to wander around the area.

"Looking for me, Damon?" I turned at the familiar sound of Myra's voice and found myself looking into her dark, scarlet eyes. So, she was a bloodthirsty vampire tonight. That would certainly explain her crazed behavior. I noticed she wasn't paying any attention to Raven at the moment. I wanted to keep it that way for as long as I could. Myra hadn't actually changed that much in the last few days, besides her red eyes. I recalled how she looked centuries ago, and concluded that she looked pretty much the same. Myra was still shorter than me by a foot and her smile was a dangerous one. At that moment, my luck decided to run out as Myra spoke.

"Oh, look at this. You brought me back my victim. That is very considerate of you, Damon." Myra moved around me and started towards Raven, who was now trying to crawl backwards in an attempt to get away from Myra. With a speed that humans could not see or understand, I stood between Myra and Raven. Myra suddenly turned a glare against me and her tone was instantly cold.

"What?! You're still on her side? Even after she pushed you away?" I directly looked into Myra's dark eyes as I stood protecting Raven. My voice had grown almost as cold as hers, which made her flinch for a brief second.

"I am _never_ going to be on you side, Myra." Myra's eyes lit up with sudden intensity. Raven got to her feet and limped over to stand near me. Myra's words came out softly and I was careful about keeping my mind closed to her.

"Why do you have to be on her side? She pushed you away, Damon. Plus, you were never on the side of pathetic humans before. What makes her so special? She's as delicate as any other human, isn't she? I mean, just look at her leg now." Myra moved around me and placed her hand on my shoulder. I knew exactly what she was doing. She continued when I refused to answer her.

"You know, if you were on my side, it would be much more worthwhile. I know you've already tasted her blood. Why not drink as much as you'd like? What's the point of keeping silly promises to humans or those vampires who just turn away from you without any hesitation? That's what your brother has been doing, so why keep a promise to someone like that? Why not drink like a vampire should? If you were on my side, you could do just that. Damon, you were always about drinking blood from humans whenever you wanted, having so much control and Power. Damon, think about it. You can have as much as you want. Starting with her." I looked over at Raven. Her face was suspicious, afraid, and hinted betrayal. I smiled the kind of smile I knew she liked and she looked towards Myra with a kind of mockery as she caught my expression. I turned slowly back to Myra, still wearing my smile.

"Myra. I'm going to tell you something I once told Katherine." Myra looked as if she anticipated my response. Now, it was time to really make her understand which side I was on. "Myra….go to hell." Myra's face dropped and rage filled her eyes. A low growl came from her throat and I knew I succeeded in crossing the line with her. I moved quickly as she attempted to hit me. I laid Raven by the tree trunk and turned to face Myra head on. Myra aimed at me again, and I hastily dodged her attack as a headstone exploded into huge, falling chunks of stone. I attempted to hit Myra back, but she appeared to be too fast for me to aim at her with any type of Power. It was dangerous to get Myra angry, I knew that. Myra launched at me, but I dodged again as she caused a huge hole to appear in the tree. Myra hastily aimed at me once more, and my body was forced backward into the tree. I could almost feel some of my energy fading away.

____________________________________________________________________________

_Raven_

I watched as Myra forced Damon off his feet and his body slammed into the huge tree, a loud sound echoing through the cemetery from the impact of this attack. I could tell he was slowing down, and there was very little left that we could do. Myra advanced towards Damon, and I felt a surge of annoyance and anger fill my chest. I was getting tired of Myra very quickly. I slowly lifted my body up and turned to face Myra, who was still focusing on Damon. I was surprised that she wasn't paying attention to me, but then again Damon did succeed in making her angrier than ever before. Now I was angry at Myra for attacking Damon this way. My voice rang out; it was surprisingly clear and filled with strength, making Myra pause in her tracks.

"Stop, Myra! Just stop." Myra glared hatefully at me and her red eyes narrowed in irritation. Then, she edged towards me. Her lips slowly transformed into a smile and I spotted her sharp fangs resting above her lower lip. It sent a small chill down my spine, but I ignored the feeling.

"You know, I am getting rather thirsty now. Just wait until you see what I'm going to do with you once I get done with him." Myra turned away, leaving me bothered by her words. My tone seemed more confident now, and it almost sounded like a stranger's voice instead of my own. An immediate surge of something unfamiliar flowed through my veins.

"Myra, why don't you just _stop!_" All of a sudden, a feeling of control entered my body as Myra was lifted off her own feet and thrown into a nearby headstone. I stared in shock at this event, and then turned to Damon questioningly. He caught my gaze and smiled slowly.

"That wasn't me. That was all you, Raven. Didn't I tell you that you were on hell of a witch? Now you see my point. I never saw Bonnie do _that_ before." Damon carefully used the tree trunk to get his body off the ground and then his eyes shifted to a look of alarm. "Raven…" I attempted to face Myra again, but this time it was my body that was thrown backwards into the tree. My head connected hard with the trunk and I fell dazed to the ground. My head was spinning wildly as I faintly heard Myra's soft laugh. Damon's voice swept over me, always calm, and the edges of my vision started to fade away into the darkness. The last thing I heard was Damon's words before my world fell away.

"Raven…I love you, Raven." Then my world drifted away, and all went black and silent.


	18. Vampire Lover

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or Twilight, and I don't own any of the characters or places in these series. The authors, Stephenie Meyer and L.J. Smith, own these series completely. I only own the characters of Raven Black, Carrie, and Myra. 

Note: The reviews are really great and I hope the readers keep reading and reviewing! Now for the last chapter in this story. Yes, it is the last chapter and I hope the readers enjoy it. (= Remember to R&R! Enjoy! 

Chapter 18: Vampire Lover 

_Raven_

I awoke with my head buzzing and the world around me spinning wildly, much like when I passed out. It took me a moment to realize that I was in my room. I wondered if the whole scene with Myra had been just a bad dream. I attempted to sit up and, as I moved my leg towards the edge of the bed, intense pain shot up my leg, forcing me to collapse back on the bed. It wasn't a dream. My leg was still injured and I didn't even know what had happened after I passed out. More carefully this time, I picked my head up and glanced around. I was alone in the room.

Where was Damon? Better yet, what had happened to Myra? At that moment, Damon came in with a glass of water and I breathed a small sigh of relief. Damon locked eyes with me before handing me the glass and he smiled, his voice soothing after the whole ordeal from the previous night. I was also sure that he looked much better than me right now; he at least looked better than I felt anyway.

"Well, look who finally woke up. I was beginning to think you might be in a coma. Myra went pretty hard on you. Your leg is a bit injured, but it'll be alright. Nothing broken anyway." I took the glass from his hand and began drinking down the cool water. I didn't realize how parched I was until I had downed the entire glass in one gulp. Damon laughed softly before pulling the glass away. He slipped quietly out of the room and, in another second, returned with another filled glass of water. He carefully placed it on my bedside table. A million questions were filling my head all at once. For starters, how had Damon gotten into my house if I didn't invite him in?

"I had to use a bit of Power on your aunt—who was sleeping soundly, by the way--in order to get in last night. I promised my brother I would check on you and you weren't here. That was when I went out looking for you." I still hadn't gotten used to Damon's ability to read my mind. It still sometimes shocked me. Tons of other questions invaded my mind, and I decided to ask the important one first.

"What…what happened to Myra?" I was amazed at how scratchy my voice was and, compared to Damon's, it sounded absolutely horrible. Almost like a broken record that just went on skipping. Damon lifted the glass of water towards me, and I drank much more slowly this time. Damon had looked away as I voiced my question. He let out a sigh and turned to face me again.

"We took care of her. Myra's…well, she's gone now." I had caught the plural word, as Damon probably knew I would.

"Ummm…'we'? Damon tilted his head at me and smiled the smile that I always enjoyed.

"Yes, 'we'. After Myra knocked you out, a few others showed up. Alice, Elena, Stefan, and Edward. Alice had the vision, so she guided the others to our location. Elena and Alice helped get you back home to safety. Edward, Stefan, and I finished off Myra. It wasn't that hard once we had three vampires against one." I stared in wonder at Damon for a moment. Elena and Alice had been there, and they were the ones who brought me back to the safety of my home. Edward and Stefan had helped Damon….in my eyes, it was amazing. I couldn't help ask the next important question, one I wasn't sure I should hear the answer to.

"How exactly did you…finish Myra?" Damon's dark eyes showed amusement at my curiosity. He leaned forward to brush back a piece of my dark hair.

"We finished her in a way that vampires can end each other. We simply burned her until she was dead. The only other way was to wait until sunrise and force her lapis lazuli ring off her finger so that she would turn to ashes, but we didn't want to wait that long." Damon pulled back from me and began wandering around my room. It took me a few seconds to take in this information.

"Turn to ashes? Like Katherine?" Damon met my eyes again and it seemed his gaze was seeing another time. His words were quiet, and came out in almost a whisper.

"Like Katherine. She had burned to ashes, too. It had been Stefan, Elena, and I against Katherine. That was only because she was trying to kill us first. Ironic, isn't it? She burned to ashes because she was an Old Soul, a vampire who has existed for centuries on end. Those are the ones who burn to ashes with the sunlight."

"You…are an Old Soul as well, aren't you?" Damon paused at my words before responding.

"Yes, me and my brother both. We have existed since Katherine. Now, anything else you need to know?" I smiled a bit at Damon and rolled my eyes dramatically.

"Well….I do have a lot of questions. Damon, did you…did you know that Myra killed my cousin, Leslie?" I avoided his eyes, waiting for the answer. His tone was surprisingly filled with sorrow.

"No, I didn't know that until last night. And…I'm sorry, Raven. I'm sorry for your cousin and I'm sorry for the separation between us. It hurt me as much as it did you." I lifted my eyes to Damon's face and I knew he was telling the truth. I felt it there in his words. I didn't realize that I was still holding the glass of water until I felt my hand grip it hard all of a sudden. I set it back on my bedside table.

"I'm sorry, too. I hate being separated, and it did hurt." Damon lifted my hand and twisted his fingers through mine. There was something else that I needed to consider at this point.

"Damon…I think…you said that you loved me before I really passed out. Right?" Damon stopped moving his hand over my own and he gazed deeply into my eyes. I could feel his eyes burning into mine, but I didn't turn away. I had to know.

"I meant it, Raven. I saw you passing out, and I wasn't sure what was going to happen with Myra after that. I knew I had to make you hear it. So, I said it and I meant it. It's something I haven't told anyone else in either of my lifetimes, Raven. I….love you." I smiled widely at him as I allowed his words to sink in. I leaned up to him and lightly kissed him. I pulled back a bit before speaking again.

"I…I feel the same way, Damon. Then again, I bet my blood didn't taste that bad, did it?" Damon laughed at my words. His voice had returned to the calm, smooth one that I had come to adore.

"Yes, that wasn't a bad asset to the night, either. Your blood is much stronger and more irresistible than any other human I drank from." Damon started moving his fingers lightly through my hair and smiled down at me. It was strange at first having a vampire boyfriend, but now I was grateful. I was happy because he was the one person who made me feel whole and safe at that moment. There was only one more question on my mind that threatened this perfect scene.

"Damon, you won't leave me again, will you? You'll stay with me?" Damon smiled his slow smile and kissed my lips before answering.

"I won't leave you, Raven. I will stay with you, no matter what."

"You promise?" Damon pulled away slightly to look into my brown eyes. His words were ones that I believed were true.

"I never break my word, darling." With those words, Damon and I settled to enjoy this perfect moment and each other.

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_Raven_

I trudged down the stairs after Damon left through my window. It was still extremely difficult to walk, but I managed. The thoughts of our previous scene still flowed through my mind. It had been the best remedy for my painful leg. Now, I limped slowly into the kitchen where my aunt was lingering. She was simply sitting in one of the kitchen chairs and her head was in one of her hands. She noticed my entrance, and she immediately spoke with concern.

"Dear, what happened to your leg?" I glanced down at my leg for a minute. I had thought I was doing a somewhat decent job of hiding the uncomfortable condition of walking, but I guess I was wrong. Then again, nothing usually gets past my aunt. I tried to put on a good smile, but even I felt that it came out weak.

"Oh, I just twisted it the wrong way last night. That's all. It'll get better soon." Okay, so that wasn't a complete lie. I did twist it the wrong way last night and it would eventually heal. I just didn't want to go into details for fear of giving something away. Instead, my aunt dropped the subject and her next words struck a note in me.

"Raven, I hope I didn't upset you about the story with Leslie. I just…miss her and I hope it didn't make you uncomfortable. I mean, she was your cousin. I just wish you met her." I slowly stumbled over to my aunt and gave her a light hug, which she tried to return.

"I know, Aunt Carrie. I wish I had met her, too. No, you didn't upset me that much. Trust me, I'm fine." This time, I actually meant it. I felt better knowing I was no longer in danger with a vampire that wanted revenge. In a way that surprised me, I could relate to Myra's way of thinking. She had lost her sister and wanted revenge for her unfair death. I had lost a cousin that I never knew, and I had wanted revenge on Myra for her death. It was starting to mess up my head a bit. "Don't worry about my leg either, Aunt Carrie. My…boyfriend is helping me with it. He already made sure I was feeling alright." My aunt looked towards me in surprise about the whole boyfriend idea. Then, she smiled brightly, and it was a smile that somewhat lifted my spirit. I made to move towards the kitchen door and back up to my bedroom when my aunt's voice stopped me.

"So…when do I get to meet this boyfriend of yours, Raven?" I turned to face my aunt with excited eyes and a bright smile of my own reaching my eyes.

"Maybe I'll invite him over for dinner some night." I made my way back to my bedroom, ideas already spinning in my head.

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_Elena_

Raven was sitting outside for lunch and I found her a few minutes before the bell rang. Her leg was still bothering her—I could see that every time she walked—and I wanted to help her as much as I could. I felt bad about the fallout with her and Damon. Somehow, it was different from what I had expected it to be. I slowly approached Raven and smiled awkwardly at her. She smiled back a little more strongly and motioned to the seat next to her. I quickly took the place beside her and I knew she was waiting for me to speak.

"I'm so sorry, Raven. I really thought Damon was trying to use you. He had always been about getting to me and attempting to claim me, so I just assumed he was trying it again. I didn't mean to hurt you or anything. I especially hated it when you came in all heartbroken the next day. It was my fault and I am sorry. When I saw Damon protecting you from Myra, I figured out that he really did like you. I'm sorry, Raven." She tilted her head, but still refused to look at me. I didn't sense that she was angry, though. It was more about considering her thoughts, and trying to find the right words. Finally, she moved to face me and smiled brightly.

"It doesn't matter now. I know you meant well and I am not mad at you for that. If anything, it makes you a really good friend. Besides, you already made it up to me." I pushed back a piece of my golden hair as I thought about what Raven said.

"How did I do that?" Raven looked at me with interested eyes and I felt that the answer was completely obvious. When she spoke, I found out that it really was.

"You saved my life. If you didn't get me out of that cemetery, I probably would have died by Myra's hand. Thank you, Elena." I took a few seconds to consider this view and then smiled towards Raven. I had promised myself in my diary that I would act as a friend to raven. Now, I knew that I had done that. Raven understood what I was thinking about and nodded encouragingly. She continued when I didn't speak.

"You see, you were acting as a good friend. I am starting to think about you like that, Elena. As a good friend. Plus, Damon isn't as bad as you claim he is." Raven nodded again as she finished her statement and I felt the truth in her words. I had made that promise in my diary a while ago, and I had kept it. Everything would be okay. Raven and I spent the next few minutes talking before the bell rang, and afterwards I felt even closer to her than I had felt before.

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_Raven_

I moved swiftly through the cemetery while walking home from school. I had asked my aunt for the location of my cousin's grave and I was now attempting to locate it. I passed over the old wooden bridge, and I couldn't help but remember the moment where I fell and twisted my leg. I also recalled the scene between me and Damon below the bridge, which made me smile softly. I made my way past the tree, which still had a gaping hole in it, and took a few more steps. Leslie's grave was the first one next to the tree, and I was grateful that it wasn't one of the ones Myra blew up. It was facing me when I sat down by the tree, and I felt as if I had been drawn to that spot when I wrote in my diary that day.

Leslie's grave was almost bare except for a small golden locket that was wrapped around a few flowers. It must have been hers, and I tried to picture her in my room, putting the locket on and lounging on the large window seat, feeling the soft breeze on her skin as the wind flowed through the huge window. I felt tears stinging my eyes, and I carefully brushed them away. It was enough to just stand here and try to think about Leslie, for I would never really know her. All because of Myra. Maybe I had done Leslie a favor, and now she could really rest in peace. I laid a rose down by the golden locket and said a small prayer. I was almost finished when I felt a presence near me and a hand wrap around my waist. I smiled as I realized it was Damon. He looked incredibly concerned and quietly gazed down at my cousin's grave.

"At least now she can rest in peace, what with Myra finally gone. It must feel strange, not to have known her. Raven?" I didn't answer him. I only buried my face into his chest and avoided everything else. Finally, I turned my face up to his and spoke softly.

"Yes, she can rest now. I don't think I ever want to come back here. There's too much pain. I think it's time to get away from it." Damon nodded slowly and guided me away. I hoped that Leslie could rest now. I can still picture her golden locket next to the roses, and the way she would look if she happily felt that soft breeze welcoming her in a place of serenity.

________________________________________________________________________________

_Raven_

_Dear Diary,_

_Everything is back to the way it should be. I thanked Alice and Elena numerous times for helping me that night. Alice and Bonnie also talked with me about my dreams—which we now refer to as my visions—and how I should deal with my power. I didn't mention the strange use of telekinesis; I thought it would be better to leave that part out for now. Damon understood my power and explained that I should try to control it as much as possible. So, with the help of Alice and Bonnie, I'm doing just that. _

_I have also gotten my vampire boyfriend back. Damon now spends as much time with me as possible. When he's not hunting, that is. Caroline has finally been discharged from the hospital, even though she is still dealing with anxiety from her attack. Elena and Bella are now excellent friends of mine who also share the secret of vampires. The Cullens treat me very nicely, all except Rosalie who has suddenly turned her irritation on me due to my 'interference' with vampires. Myra is gone, and so far there are no other worries in Fell's Church. _

_As for me, I am a kind of witch who, as a human, now exists in the secret world of vampires. I am the girlfriend of a vampire, which is not at all bad. Aunt Carrie really likes Damon; she met him just last night when I invited him over for dinner with us. She is also trying to move on and get over the sadness about Leslie. I still have dreams about her, but now she is always happy and wearing her golden locket. It looks incredibly beautiful on her. _

_I actually invited Damon in the night after the huge battle, not only for supper but for time in my room as well. We talked for hours on end, and I didn't fall asleep until late at night. When I did finally asleep, Damon stayed with me and watched me while I slept. That's what he told me the next day, which surprisingly makes me feel safe and calm. I was happy for the first time in a while as my vampire boyfriend held me through the night in the atmosphere of our secret, new world. Tomorrow's another day and Damon is another reason for being happy through the new day. I am a true vampire lover now, and I like it that way. _

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_The End!! (=_

_A/N: This has been the final chapter of my story "Vampire Lover" and I hope you all liked it. Please review and tell me what you think. Also…I am planning on making a sequel to this story, so watch out for that, too! It will be called "Werewolf Hunter" and I hope the readers will take the time to read the sequel to this story, especially if you liked this story! (= So….R&R and look out for the sequel! _


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